The Guardian Angel of the Railway
by Emerald Omen
Summary: My pleasant life was interrupted one night upon finding a few mysteries objects that lead me to find the portal to another world. One filled with Sentient locomotives. Or it was. The engine who discovered me says that the world is in a state of minor war with humans from Earth, and they're losing. She also says I'm the only one who can help them. But what can I do?
1. Chapter 1

I leaned back in my chair, and sighed. Only another half hour until my shift ended. I looked at the papers in front of me, and double checked the sheet. It didn't look like there were any more scheduled trains for today, but I was also responsible for selling tickets for tomorrow's trains, as well as answering any questions people might have.

Working at Shining Time Station was a nice job. It was a very bright and friendly place. Trains continuously going through, stopping for passengers, and then continuing on their way. In this part of the country, train travel was quite popular. My job was to run the reception and ticket desk inside the station, along with a few other people. I was the closer tonight, however, so it was just me now.

I filled out the remaining paperwork in the silence of the station, and then filed it away for tomorrow. As I looked out the window, I listened. It didn't sound like any trains were nearby.

Shame, a good train always made me smile.

I turned my attention to the artwork on the far wall. A mass amount of it had been painted on the wall, including a small station house, with a tunnel next to it. Locomotives and rails were painted along the length of the wall, as well as scenery. A small ledge ran along the wall as well, an occasional decoration sitting on it.

Any kids that would enter the station always loved to look at the art. I didn't know who had designed it, as it was here when I was hired, but I always enjoyed looking at it. Standing, I walked over to the wall, running my eyes over the details. The small switch house looked so real, and the tunnel next to it looked as if it could lead anywhere. A shiver ran through me, and I ran my hand over the ledge in front of the house.

One time I had done so, and my hand had come up covered in a strange gold powder. Almost like golden glitter, but different somehow. I wasn't sure what it was, or how it got there. Probably a kid who had set something of theirs up there for a moment.

I hummed to myself as I swept the floor one last time, and then polished the windows. I took great pride in the station. It always looked its best, and it would always keep a cheery mood about it.

Finally, it was time for me to lock up. I shut off all of the lights, and walked outside, locking the door behind me. I looked up and down the empty rails that lead off into the distance, before letting out a sigh, and shut off the outside lights.

As I walked to my vehicle, I could practically smell the fog in the air. It was a damp evening, as usual. Shining Time Station was on the edge of the countryside, thus, a lot of free air allowed it to dampen quickly in the area. I didn't mind, for I had gotten used to it some time ago. It was the reason I had equipped roof lights on my pickup truck. That, and the lift kit with the off-road tires. My cottage was far into the country, with only a dirt road allowing access to it. More often than not, it was muddy, and took some traction to be able to make it all the way.

I climbed into the drivers seat, and fired up the engine. A low growl emanated from the exhaust as the RPM's leveled out, and I switched on the radio, letting the gentle music fill the silence as I pulled out of the station parking lot.

The main road wandered around the edge of town for a while, before gradually giving way to large fields and trees. The English countryside was beautiful, even at night. When I first moved here, I specifically wanted a small place to myself in the country, so I could have my peace and quiet. I didn't mind noise, but at the end of the day, a little quiet was always a nice way to relax.

As I stopped at a railroad crossing for a passing night train, my eyes closed as the sounds of the coach's running along the rails filled my ears. Whenever I heard the sounds of a train, I always knew I was home.

Once the train passed, I slowly drove over the tracks, and turned towards the small mountains in the distance.

After a while, the road turned to dirt, and I crawled my way between the fields and trees, the headlights piercing the dark foggy air. There was only a few houses per mile out here, so it was a lot of open land for the fog to hang in.

After another ten minutes of bumping along the dirt road, I slowly turned into my long driveway, and made my way up the hill to my home. I parked the truck out in front, and went to get my mail from the mailbox. I pulled out a wad of envelopes, and filed through them with speed and accuracy.

Bills, advertisements, and other miscellaneous junk. Most of the ads were for electrical appliances, which I ignored. My cottage was old, and had few electrical components. It was made of stone, heated by the fireplace in the living room, and was mostly powered by nature. The biggest electrical appliance I owned was probably my refrigerator.

As I filed through the letters, one in particular caught my attention. It had no return address, and had my name and address written in fancy curly font on the front. I raised an eyebrow.

Nobody I knew would write to me, and certainly not in a font like _that_. I flipped it over, but didn't find anything on the other side. I finally shrugged, and walked inside with the wad of paper envelopes. I tossed them onto the table, and went to light the fireplace, throwing in some fresh logs and a lit match.

After a while, they caught, and heat began to fill the small room. I nodded in satisfaction, and headed into the kitchen to make myself dinner. I never kept much food on hand at any one time, because I don't want to waste any. I opened my refrigerator, and looked around, before finally settling on a ham sub sandwich I had gotten yesterday, and put it onto a plate, along with a glass of milk. I opened the kitchen window, and let the gentle breeze and sounds of the crickets waft in as I ate.

My eyes wandered back over to the letter with no return address.

Sighing, I finally gave in, and picked it up. After slicing it open with a kitchen knife, a single piece of paper fell out. It was tri-folded, and had no special markings or indications. I unfolded it, to reveal a small amount of writing in the middle of it.

Addressed directly to me. It read as follows:

_Dear Mr. Anon,_

_Have you heard about the abandoned railroad tracks high in Muffle Mountain?_

I frowned. That's all that was written. I flipped the paper over, and verified that there was nothing on the other side. Who would waste a stamp just for a single sentence? One that made no sense whatsoever?

A railroad on Muffle Mountain? There was no such thing! The base of Muffle Mountain was a fifteen minute drive from my cottage, and getting to the top by vehicle took longer, as it was a steep climb. I had done it before, as a way of testing my trucks capability when I first modified it, and I hadn't come across any tracks even once!

"Load of bollocks." I muttered, tossing the letter back onto the table, then I went back to my sandwich, and finished it without interruption.

The interruption came afterwords.

Just as I had put my plate and cup into the sink for washing, there was a knocking at the front door.

**_KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!_**

I jumped slightly at the noise, not expecting to hear anything of the sort. I couldn't even recall the last time I had had a visitor. Living in the country tended to do that. I walked towards the door, and opened it, expecting to find a lost tourist, or the post-man.

But instead, I got no one.

I stepped out, and looked around.

"Hello?" I asked. There was no reply. I sighed, and started to step back inside. "Kids." I grumbled, starting to close the door. But something glinting in the moonlight on the doorstep caused me to stop, and open the door again.

I bent down, and inspected what was sitting on the step. I picked the items up, and looked at them closer.

Another folded piece of paper, and a small kazoo... or something of the sort. As I held the small instrument up, I noticed something come out of it into my hand. I walked back inside, closing the door behind me, and held my hand under the kitchen light.

The substance looked quite similar to the gold powder I had found at Shining Time that one day. A glittery gold substance, small and grainy. I set the kazoo down carefully, as to not spill anymore, and then rubbed my fingers over the powder.

"What _is_ this stuff?" I asked to myself as I inspected it. As far as I could tell, there was nothing special about it, so I brushed it off of my hands, and into the trash. Then I looked at the new paper I had found.

It was smaller, and shaped like a square, folded several times. I gently unfolded it, to reveal a large assortment of lines, landmarks, and icons.

A map, it appeared to be.

As I looked closer, I realized it was a map of the area I lived in, going from the edge of town, all the way to a little past Muffle Mountain. But what was really odd was that there were two locations specifically marked on it. One was a point on Muffle Mountain, and the other...

Was my cottage. Specifically located, and accurately scaled away from the mountain.

"What is this?" I muttered. A dark line was drawn from my house icon, and it wove its way across the map, all the way to the marked point at the mountain. A route, more or less.

But what did it lead to? Could it have something to do with the letter I had received in the mail? It was possible, but then why would they not have just included the map with the letter? It didn't make any sense.

It was possible that maybe one of my co-workers was playing a practical joke on me. Some of them would do something like this for a laugh.

I set the map on the table next to the letter and kazoo, and sighed. I'd have to ask them tomorrow when I arrived for my shift if they knew anything about this.

If they did... then it was all just a simple joke. If they didn't...

Then I had a real mystery on my hands.

. . .

Once I finished washing the dishes, I fiddled with the fireplace a little bit, as to keep the fire roaring for as long as it could into the night, and then headed to my bedroom.

I pulled back the sheets, and changed into my pajamas, before sitting on the bed, and looking out of the window.

I had a decent view, fields and trees splayed out beyond the window frame. During the day, it made a nice picture, and at night, it was relaxing. Hearing the breeze make its way through the trees, and the occasional train whistle piercing the air, it almost guaranteed a good nights sleep.

I picked up the book I was currently reading off of the night stand, and cracked it open. Reading a few chapters of a good book was another good way to relax before bed.

I read for a good while, then I laid down, and switched off the light. As I stared up at the ceiling, I found it difficult to force the mystery of the letter and map from my mind.

Some part of me believed it wasn't a joke, because who would go through all the trouble of drawing such an accurate and detailed map for the sake of a joke? It seemed _highly_ unusual.

And the gold powder. I was _sure_ it was the same as the stuff I had found in the station. It couldn't purely be a coincidence. It must mean something, to someone. And why in the world was it stuffed inside a _kazoo_?

That was the most bizarre part. What was the significance of that little toy instrument? It was all baffling!

I turned onto my side, and listened to the sounds coming through my window.

A serenade of crickets, a breeze gently making its way through he land, and a screaming steam whistle.

I frowned.

That whistle didn't sound like any of the trains that usually ran this area. It sounded really strange, and out of tune. Make no mistake, it sounded beautiful, and sent a chill down my spine as it changed pitch, high, then lower, then higher. But it didn't sound _normal_. It sounded far away.

Like, far enough away that I shouldn't have been able to hear it, but I was, loud and clear. Almost as if it had an echo to it, or it was being amplified. It was difficult to explain. I tried to focus on it, but as soon as I did, it ceased, silence filling the air again.

Another difficult thing to explain was that for some reason, it felt that the whistle was being directed at me specifically. As if it was a signal, or a sign. But that was ridiculous. Odds are it was just an off tune whistle on one of the night trains. What else could it be? There were no out of town locomotive's coming through, I had seen the rail schedule for the next day.

I thought about the whistle for a while, and eventually began to succumb to the oncoming slumber. As I drifted off, I finally placed what sounded so off about the whistle.

It almost sounded... _magical_.

. . .

_"Anooooooon..."_

I cracked open one eye, and looked around. I could have sworn I had heard someone calling my name. I didn't see anything that looked out of place, so I closed it again.

_"Anoooooooon..."_

This time, I opened both eyes. I _knew_ I heard that. Sitting up in bed, I looked around.

"Hello?" I asked the seemingly empty room.

"We need you Anon..." the voice whispered. It felt as if it was directly in my ear. I quickly looked to the left, expecting to find someone standing there, but there was no one. I quickly looked to the right, only to see nothing still.

"Is someone in here?" I called, getting out of bed. I flicked on the dim bedroom light, to find that there was no one in the room. Perhaps they were standing outside my bedroom window? I went and checked, but again, there was no one around. I finally sighed, and leaned against the window frame, looking out at the scenery. It was still dark out, probably around two in the morning.

"I must be having a dream or something." I muttered.

Suddenly, the same high pitched steam whistle I had heard earlier interrupted my thoughts, piercing the silent night air once again. Rising higher, and then lower. It still didn't sound familiar, or even natural.

Something about that whistle gave me chills...

I looked around the room, and realized it looked hazy almost. The whistle outside rose and fell again, and I sniffed. The room did indeed smell damp, as if a large amount of water had been steamed in your room or something. Odds are it was just the night fog seeping in through the window. I closed it, and got back into bed, the whistle outside fading away into nothing through the now closed window. This was surely just a strange dream I was having, I was sure of that.

. . .

The next morning, I woke up, and could still remember the strange dream. I stood, and expected to hear the sounds of outside coming through the open window, but I didn't hear anything. I looked over, and found that the window was closed.

I knew I had opened it when I had gone to bed, so that could only mean... what I was remembering actually happened. The voice, the steam like feel in my room... and the whistle.

Now I was starting to get a little nervous. Ever since that stuff had arrived yesterday, a whole bunch of strange things had been happening. I needed to get to the bottom of this, and I was going to start by asking around at work today, and see if anyone knew anything about what was going on. But my shift didn't start for a few hours yet, so I had some time to kill.

I ate breakfast, and then headed outside, half expecting to find another set of strange things on my doorstep, but nothing looked amiss. I walked out to my truck, deciding I would head into town to purchase some groceries, and then head to work.

As I started the engine, the radio began to play again, except this time, it was people talking. It sounded like they were talking about something to do with Muffle Mountain, so I decided to listen in before departing.

"_And in other news, several archaeologists arrived in town today to get digging rights on Muffle Mountain. There have been rumors of something in the mountain for quite some time, and it looks like they're here to find out if it's true or not. It will take them some time to gain the permits, as the city isn't sure if they want them digging yet or not._" the newscaster said.

I sat in my truck for a few minutes, playing what I had just heard through my mind. Before yesterday, I had never heard any rumors of anything special being in Muffle Mountain, and now I was starting to get a bad feeling in my gut, and I wasn't sure why. It felt as if some unseen force was prodding me to follow the map I had found yesterday, and get to the marked location on the mountain. After hesitating for a few minutes, I finally gave in, and pulled out my phone. I was going to have to miss work today.

As I dialed the number, I felt a little nervous. I rarely ever missed work, so most likely they wouldn't have much of an issue with me missing, but I had never purposely skipped a day before. I enjoyed my job, and didn't want to take it for granted.

Someone on the other end picked up, and I took a deep breath.

"Hey, it's Anon. I'm sick, and I don't think I'll be making it in today. I just came down with it this morning, and was waiting as long as I could before calling so I could determine if I could come in or not. I don't think I'll be able to at this point." I said. After conversing a little bit more, my boss had finally given me the day off. As I expected, she didn't have much of a problem with it, but still. I had never lied for the sake of missing a day before, and it didn't sit particularly well with me.

But the feeling inside wasn't a good one, and it was only getting _worse_. I stepped out of my truck, and went back into my Cottage. I was going to go to the marked location of the mountain, but first, I was going to need to prepare some things.

. . .

"Map, check. Food, check. Gas, check." I ran through the list of provisions. Climbing the Mountain would take a while, and I wanted to be prepared, just in case I found something that would cause me to be there a while. My truck was equipped with spare gas tanks, and tools, so I just needed to take food, and the things given to me yesterday.

Really, I only felt that I needed the map, but for good measure, I decided to take the kazoo, and the letter as well. Why not? They all seemed to be pointing to the same thing.

I carried the provisions out and set them in the bed of the truck. A sleeping bag, a large container of food and drink, and the parchments.

I locked my house behind me, and started the trucks engine. While its idling thinned out, I opened up the map, and examined it. According to the route, I simply followed dirt roads to the bottom of the mountain, and then climbed up the mountain to the marked spot. I'd have to choose my own route up the mountain. My truck wasn't invincible, after all.

Slowly crawling down the driveway, I turned left onto the dirt road. I carefully followed the route on the map, turning down the roads it told me to. I didn't see what difference it made how I got to the bottom of the mountain, but if it didn't make a difference, then why would they have specifically put a lined route down? I thought it best to follow the instructions.

After twenty minutes of slow driving, and repeatedly checking the map, I found myself at a dead end of the dirt road closest to the base of the mountain. I would be off-roading from here.

I engaged the trucks four wheel drive, and began to crawl through the thick grass. After a while, I slowly started to ascend upwards, and the climb was on.

I put the truck into low gear, and feathered the gas, slowly clawing my way up the side of the mountain. Some parts were more challenging than others, but the truck was up for it. I worked the wheel back and forth as I was bounced about in my seat, the loose things in the cab flying all over the place. The suspension squeaked and rattled as it flexed under the weight of the truck.

Once I found a fairly flat spot, I stopped, and picked up the things in the cab, and put them in the glove box so they couldn't move anymore. According to the map, I was getting close to the location. I looked behind me, and saw that the valley was quite far away. I needed to be _extremely_ careful now. One mistake this high up the mountain could have me rolling down to the bottom.

That certainly wouldn't end well.

I slowly edged the truck forwards, and began to finish the climb.

. . .

Another fifteen minutes, and I put the truck into park. According to the map, I was at the location, but I didn't see anything that looked special. After making sure my truck wasn't going anywhere, I got out, and walked around. It was nothing but grass, dirt, and the occasional tree at the level.

Looking back down, I could see how far I had really come. It must have been at least a mile from the base of the mountain now. I sat, and thought for a few minutes. It never said what I was supposed to find up here, or where specifically it was. Just that there was something, or some reason why it was marked.

The thought of the letter entered my mind. It had said something about a railroad on or in the mountain. If that's what I was looking for, I was wasting my time. There was no way a train could get up this mountain without visible tracks and bridges. And there weren't any.

No tunnels, no bridges, no zig-zagged track, nothing.

I decided to read the letter again. Perhaps I had missed something?

I walked back to the truck, and picked up the folded paper. Upon opening it, I was met with a surprise.

The words on it had _changed_.

I knew I wasn't crazy, but it did NOT say what it had before. Nothing about a railroad, and nothing about the mountain. Now, it merely read:

_Buffers are the end of the line, but the beginning of a journey._

I closed my eyes for a moment, and then opened them, looking at the paper again. No change. It seemed I was on a wild goose chase with magical paper, or something like that. A scavenger hunt, almost.

But what did _buffers_ have to do with anything? They were placed at the end of a rail line, to stop slow moving trains from derailing. It still seemed the letter was adamant about there being tracks somewhere around here.

I looked around again, and narrowed my eyes in the bright sunlight. I could make out something I hadn't noticed before, approximately two hundred feet away.

"What is that?" I asked aloud, starting to walk in that direction. As I neared, my eyes widened.

A set of railway buffers, and a set of rusting railroad trucks, sitting in a cluster of overgrown weeds, well hidden by them. I looked in the direction the tracks went, and scowled.

They ran about one hundred feet, then stopped at the nearly straight vertical side of the mountain.

"What..." I muttered, walking along the rails. I had never heard of any rails being up here. When were they built, and what for? Had there been plans at one point to make a tunnel in the mountain or something? The mountain wall here was far to flat to be natural. And the tracks seemed to go inside, through it, almost. It was most perplexing.

As I walked closer, I accidentally scuffed my foot along the ground, and sent a few rocks flying forwards. The one in particular I happened to be watching flew into the vertical wall... and _vanished_! In a small flash of light, no less.

My eyes widened again, and I felt my jaw open a little. Had I really just seen that? I stood motionless for a moment, staring where the rock should have hit the ground, and bounced away. I slowly reached down, and picked up another rock, not taking my eyes off of the spot. I tossed the stone towards it, and just as the previous one had, it passed right through the side of the mountain without hesitation, a brief flash of light accompanying its exit.

"What is going on around here?" I whispered to yourself. I slowly backed towards my truck, not taking my eyes off of the buffers, track, and mountain side, for fear that if I looked away, it would vanish. I climbed in my truck, started the engine, and slowly maneuvered it over to the tracks. Once it was next to the rails, I picked up the letter, and opened it.

It had changed AGAIN! It now said:

_As unrestricted as the wind crossing an open field, you shall pass through._

I looked from the letter to the side of the mountain. Was I supposed to go through the... portal? Would my truck fit? And where would I end up? There was no way of telling where this lead, and whether I would get to go back or not.

If I drove through, there was a chance I might not be able to come back.

"What about it? Will I be able to come back?" I asked, staring at the letter, as if it would answer.

It did not.

"Guess it's up to me then." I muttered, looking at the steering wheel of my truck in thought. I still had the strange feeling in my gut, although it had considerably lessened the closer I got to the railroad. Maybe that was a sign? A sign that I was destined to cross through?

After a few more moments of thought, I made the decision. I looked out the trucks window, and took in my surroundings as a gentle breeze blew past. I took a mental picture, and then shifted the truck into drive.

With some reversing, and careful positioning, it was now sitting atop the rails, the large tires and lifted suspension allowing me to do so without damaging it. I faced the end of the rails that lead into the side of the mountain, and exhaled. I looked in the rear view mirror at the surroundings behind me, and revved the engine, the exhaust roaring aggressively.

Before I could convince myself otherwise, I released the brake, and the truck launched forwards, engine roaring. As I rapidly approached the side of the mountain at speed, I closed my eyes, waiting for the impact.

But it never came.


	2. Chapter 2

My eyes stayed closed for a moment, before I suddenly felt my truck wobbling gently. I cracked open one eye, and slammed on the brakes.

I hadn't hit the side of the mountain, I had indeed gone _through_ the portal! And where I was now... was quite possibly the most creepy place I had ever seen.

The same set of rails were laid down, stretching straight on as far as I could see, and my truck was still sitting on them. I hesitantly stepped out, and looked around. It almost looked as if I was in a tunnel, or something similar. The air was damp and cold, with little light.

But what made it _really_ eerie was the _walls_. It seemed as if the surrounding walls, and even the top of the large tunnel was made from intertwined tree roots, branches, and weeds. It looked as if it had been slowly made over time, and as if it hadn't been touched in years. The only light in the tunnel was coming from behind the roots and leaves. A dim, greenish blue glow poking its way through every possible gap, like there were dozens of green glow sticks behind the plant made wall.

It gave the whole thing a _very_ mysterious and chilling feel.

I narrowed my eyes looking on, and saw that the tunnel seemed to go for quite a good distance, without turning or an elevation change. I looked back at my truck, making sure it hadn't been damaged in the transition. It looked normal.

I bent down, and ran my hands along the ground, and over the rails. It just felt like normal dirt and metal, but I knew this place was _far_ from normal. It couldn't possibly have been built by anyone on Earth. I wasn't even sure I was inside Muffle Mountain at this point. There wouldn't be a glowing light inside the ground.

So then where was I?

I got back in my truck, and glanced at the letter for my next instruction. It read:

_When a door closes, another one opens._

I thought about that statement for a few minutes. Most likely, it meant I was supposed to find the exit to wherever I was. It was a tunnel. It _had_ to have an exit at the other end.

I put the truck into drive, and slowly rolled through the tunnel, switching on the headlights for more visibility.

The ground seemed bumpier here in the tunnel, more so than on the mountain. The rails were slowly warping, and the wood was rotting. This whole tunnel looked as if it was rotting, or decaying.

I turned on the radio, and got nothing but static. That confirmed my suspicions. I wasn't on, in, or around Muffle Mountain anymore. Even if I was in the mountain, I would still get a little bit of something, but now, the pure static signaled that there was no radio tower of any type near by.

I slowly crawled over the railroad ties, and looked around in wonder as the glowing light reflected all around. If I told someone that this existed... they would think I was crazy. I remembered what the radio had said the day before. People wanted to dig on Muffle Mountain to find a rumored something inside. Could _this_ be what they were referring to?

The strange feeling in my gut made itself known once again as I rumbled through the tunnel, and after a few more minutes, I saw something in the distance. The tunnel seemed to get narrower ahead, and there was something sitting on the railroad tracks. It looked like... another set of buffers!

"That must be the exit." I whispered, slowing as I approached the wooden buffers. I sat in the truck for a moment, staring at the buffers intently. They looked just like the previous set did, but I didn't want to assume they served the same function. After all, entering the portal didn't require going towards the buffers. But these were at the end of the line in the tunnel.

I stepped out, and grabbed a pen from inside my truck's cab. I walked up to the buffers, until I was about a foot away, and then tossed the pen forwards.

Just before the pen came into contact with the buffers, it vanished in a flash of light, confirming that this was the exit, or entrance from this side. Although now I had to wonder again...

Where would I end up? A mysterious tunnel is one thing, but who knew what was on the other side of these buffers? It could be empty space, or it could be another world. How could I be so sure I could survive on the other side? I might be killed the second I crossed for all I knew. But the letter pointed me in this direction, so I was going to follow it.

I got back in the truck, and didn't hesitate pushing it forwards. On instinct, I braced for impact as I neared the buffers, but once again, it was unwarranted. I kept my eyes open this time, and was blinded by an intense flash of bright white light. I brought a hand up to my face to block the light, but in the time it took me to move my hand, the light was gone, replaced with darkness.

Instantaneous transferal between portals.

I stopped the truck, and once my vision cleared, looked around. It looked like Earth. Somewhere on it, at least.

I could see trees, tracks, fog, and even grass. But it was night time here. It had been day when I entered the tunnel. I saw three possibilities.

I had either gone to the other side of the world in a matter of minutes, been in the tunnel for far longer than I thought... or I was on another world. One similar to Earth, but not Earth.

None of the possibilities made much sense. I couldn't go to the other side of the world that fast, and I was sure I hadn't been in the tunnel for more than ten minutes. Which only left me with what I feared the most.

I was on another world.

I warily looked around, unsure if it was safe to get out or not. I didn't see any signs of life around, but that didn't mean they weren't there. I waited for a few minutes, and after nothing happened, gently maneuvered my truck off of the tracks, and onto a flat piece of ground next to them. I slowly opened the driver door, and stepped out.

I looked around, and heard familiar sounds. Crickets, an owl, and even the buzzing of flying insects. It all seemed quite normal. I walked back behind the truck, and found yet a third set of buffers. I must have come through them when I arrived on this side. Unfortunately, there was no way to make a note of where they were, because I didn't know the size, layout, or even depth of where I was. I looked on ahead, and noticed that the fog was especially thick ahead, with several scraggly looking trees standing inside the cloud, giving it a creepy silhouette. I shuddered, and sat back in my truck, where I felt the safest. It was the one familiar thing to me now. I leaned back, and sighed, trying to clear my mind and think of what to do next.

The letter would probably tell me, or at least give a hint. I reached over, and picked it out of the passenger seat. Upon opening it, it did indeed have a new hint for me.

_Wait, and remember, first impressions can decide a friend, or a foe._

Well that was encouraging. Was I supposed to meet someone here, or was someone supposed to find me? I had no clue what kind of beings might live on this world, and if they could be foe's, they might be dangerous. Or was it referring to _me_ as a possible foe, against _them_?

While I thought about what the paper said, I failed to notice the sound of man made machinery growing steadily closer. It wasn't until a light in the distant fog appeared that I was pulled from my thoughts, and the sound reached my ears. It was a familiar sound, one that I knew well.

The sound of a steam locomotive.

I waited intently to see what would come through the fog. If it _was_ a steam locomotive, maybe I was still on Earth somewhere!

After a few more seconds, I saw the shape of a small engine appear through the fog, and it was coming fast! I decided to duck down in my truck.

Just because they're driving a familiar vehicle doesn't mean they're friendly.

I heard the squeal of worn brakes as the chuffing slowed, and then went silent, followed by the sound of hissing steam. I was about to poke my head up for a look when a woman's voice scared me back into my hiding position.

"Who is there?!" it asked. I shuddered.

The voice sounded powerful. Menacing. Intimidating.

I waited for something to happen, but I didn't hear anything for a moment. Then, the chuffing slowly started up again, as if the steam locomotive was crawling forwards, towards me. Suddenly, it stopped again, and I saw a light start shining through the dashboard of my truck.

"Who is there!? Show yourself intruder!" the voice ordered. Shame, it sounded like a pretty woman.

Figuring I had been caught, I slowly raised myself to look out through the windshield of the truck. Once I could see clearly past the light shining through the window, my eyes widened in disbelief.

The engine sitting on the rails before me was beautiful! A dark purple, with a touch of red, gold highlights, a funnel standing tall with a gold crown like accent at the top, and four drive wheels colored the same as the body. But that wasn't the crazy part, oh no.

What was crazy was the fact that as I stared at the small steam locomotive... it stared _back_.

Not in a seeing myself in a reflection like way, no. The engine itself... had a face! On the front of its smoke box! Two large eyes, a button nose, and a perky set of lips that were shaped in an unhappy direction. What made it _more_ scary was the fact that the eyes of the engine had what appeared to be an aura flaming off of them. A golden aura gently flowed outwards from the eyes, and, mixed with the scowl of the face, looked very intimidating.

I ducked down again, sure that what I just saw wasn't real. An engine... that was _alive_? A sentient train? That was crazy talk! I was clearly just suffering from some sort of hallucination or some sort of dementia from the crazy air around me.

"Get up, and face me!" the voice shouted. I quickly jerked upright, my hands in the air. The engine chuffed closer, a somewhat curious expression on its face, mixed with unbridled fury.

"Y-You're not..." I started shakily.

"Shut up!" the engine ordered. The lips moved when it spoke. The engine really was alive.

And it was a _female_.

I sat in the truck, paralyzed with fear. I could tell this engine meant business, and if I did anything that could be taken aggressively, it would very possibly be the end of me. After a few minutes, the engine spoke, a stern look in her eyes.

"Who are you!? Why are you here!? Explain yourself immediately!" she barked, making me flinch. I took a shaky breath, and then tried to form the sounds known as words.

"I-I'm A-Anon. F-From Earth." I said. The engine's face changed ever so slightly at the sound of my name.

"Anon... that's your name?" she asked. I nodded. She released a cloud of pent up steam, and sighed.

"Why are you here?" she asked in a noticeably softer tone. I slowly picked up the map and magic letter for her to see.

"I found these... a few days ago. They led me here... or at least to the mountain." I said. The expression on the engine's face changed again. The flowing aura from her eyes slowly faded, and her brow softened. But only a little.

"Where did you get those!? I demand to know!" she said.

"I found them, o-on my door step. T-The letter... it changes, and helps me know w-what to do next. P-Please, I'll leave, and never come back, just don't kill me!" I pleaded. The engine rolled her eyes.

"While I have a strong hatred for you Earth people, unfortunately I am not allowed to kill you. You specifically, anyway. If what you say is true, at least. If I find out you are lying about any of what you have just claimed, I will burn you alive." she threatened. I wasn't sure exactly how an engine could hurt me if I wasn't on the rails, but I decided not to ask. Maybe this engine wasn't just an engine. Who knows what it was capable of?

I sat there silently in my truck, afraid to move. The engine stared at me with her intimidating glare for a few minutes, before she spoke again.

"Get out."

I hesitated, and then slowly opened the door of the truck, and stepped out. The engine looked me up and down, as if she was scanning me for weapons or something. Finally, she smirked.

"You don't appear to be dangerous. Lucky for you. Get in my cab, I will take you back to the others." she said. I furrowed my brow, finally gaining enough confidence to ask her a few questions of my own.

"Are you kidding? I don't know who you are, where I am, what's going on, or what you have planned for me. I need answers before I do anything, or go anywhere!" I said. The engine looked frustrated.

"You are testing the little patience I have, Anon. But... I suppose I should inform you regardless. My name is Lady. I am the leader of a small group of engines on The Island of Sodor. We are currently at war with people from your world, and are losing. Most of the Island has been taken over by them, and most of the engines here are either gone, destroyed, or missing. There are four others besides me, but it is my job is to protect this place, and the engines left. I am the Guardian of the Railway." she said.

I processed what she had just told me, and then came up with two more questions.

"Why are you at war with people from my world? And what do I have to do with any of this?" I asked. Lady growled quietly, but answered my questions.

"The ones from your world found this place by mistake, and want to take it over for money. They are tearing up the track, destroying engines, and flattening land. Just so they can make a profit by melting us down, and selling the metal. When they first arrived, I welcomed them, unaware of their true intentions. I will not make that mistake again. I kill anyone who comes through this portal almost immediately. Lucky for you, I'm a bit slow tonight, and found out you're the one we've been waiting for before I could kill you. You are the one of prophecy to come and help us defeat the others." she said. I tilted my head.

"Prophecy?" I asked. Lady sighed.

"Yes. A while back, we found a prophecy claiming that a man from Earth, named Anon, would find this place, and save us. I have tried calling out to you for years through my magic, but I have never gotten through to you. The letter, map, and gold dust whistle belong to a man called Mr. Conductor. He was another magical being, but he has been missing for years. He sent his items to appear to the prophesied one when the time was right. That time is now, apparently." she said.

My eyes widened as I recalled the strange whistle I had heard, and the voice in your room calling to me.

"I've heard you! Recently, actually! I've heard a strange whistle coming from the mountain, and I heard a voice in my head the other night while I was sleeping!" I exclaimed.

"My most recent attempt. I found it pointless to keep trying, as you never responded, but did so anyway. As you have now heard it, it is your duty to help us." she said. I laughed.

"Seriously? What can I possibly do? I'm sorry for the state of supposed war your in, but I'm nobody special. And I see no signs of war. I hear no sounds, and see no damage. As far as I can tell, I'm just in some foggy place, at night, with a bloody steamer that's alive, and trying to boss me around." I said. Lady suddenly got in my face, or as close as she could without leaving her tracks. Thin trails of smoke rose from her nostrils, and she looked quite mad.

"Fool, you do not take my word!? Do you _realize_ who I am, or what I can do?! The _only_ thing keeping you alive is the fact that you are supposed to be able to help us! If you do not, then you are nothing but another _miserable_ one from Earth, and I will kill you here and now! What is it going to be?! I do not care either way!" she said in a loud, low voice. Her eyes began to glow yellow again, and she appeared to tower over me, even though she was small for a steamer.

I stepped back a little, shaking in fright.

"Alright, alright! I'll help! But I really don't know what I can do!" I said. Lady's aura faded, and she rolled back a few feet.

"You will _try_, that is what you can do. My patience has run out. Get in my cab. _Now_!" she snapped. I looked back at my truck.

"But..." I stopped as a low growl began to emanate from the purple engine. I decided to stop talking, and climbed into Lady's cab, not wanting to test her lack of patience more. Lady slowly began to chuff backwards, into the fog.

As she went, I felt unsteady. She was wobbly, and uneven. I looked out of her cab side, and saw several signs of damage. Thick, black smoke was belching from her tall funnel in uneven plumes, her entire frame was wobbling along the rails, and her chuffing was strained, and rough. All signs of a steamer in need of repair. I didn't mention my observations, for fear of pissing Lady off more. Instead, I watched behind her through the open cab.

After a few minutes, Lady suddenly jerked into a siding, and stopped quickly.

"Maybe you are capable of doing something after all. This is the incorrect track, and leads to a dead end. I had forgotten that it was switched in this direction. Get out, and switch it back so we may proceed to the station." she said. I hopped out of her cab, and looked around.

"A please would be nice. And where am I supposed to move the track?" I asked. Lady scoffed.

"Do you know nothing? There will be a switch lever nearby. Look for it." she said. I turned to look at the purple engine.

"Well at least help! Shine your lights around, I can't see a damned thing! You're not making it easy to help anyone." I snapped. Lady looked ever so slightly surprised at my words. But she quickly covered it up with a scowl.

"Things haven't been easy for us in years, but we make do. Fine. If you are so _blatantly_ incompetent, I will assist you." she said, brightening her head lamps, and aiming them around the area. After a moment, one stopped on a rusty lever sticking up in the air near the track.

"There. Once I roll past the switch, move the track back." she said, chuffing forwards back onto the main track. I walked up to the old lever, and placed my hands on it. I pulled it with all my might, but it did not budge.

"It won't move." I said, trying to push it instead, with no more luck. Lady huffed in frustration.

"Weakling. Try harder, we must get back!" she said. I pulled the lever again, and after a moment, it groaned as it started to give. The track points creaked as they moved from their position, scraping into their new position as the lever was pulled down. They clearly hadn't been moved in years.

"Haven't been down here in a while?" I asked, climbing back into Lady's cab.

"I despise this area. Nothing good comes from it, except people of your kind, here to ruin us. But, at least you're good for something. If you had not been here, I would have been stuck for quite some time." she said, starting to reverse again. I stayed silent as Lady wobbled her way back to the station she had spoken of.

After a few minutes, she rounded another corner, and a large structure came into view. It was tall, and wide. A dim glow was coming off of it, and several tracks led into the building. In the darkness, I was barely able to make out a faded sign that read "Knapford" on it.

"A train station?" I asked as Lady pulled into a siding to turn around.

"Yes. It's where we meet every night. We cannot go out during the day, because we will be seen by our enemies. At night, we have the cover of darkness on our side. During the day, we stay in our sheds, so they won't know we are here." Lady explained as she pulled back onto the track, facing towards the station now.

"Doesn't using your headlamps defeat that purpose of stealth at night?" I asked. Lady hesitated.

"Be quiet." she finally commanded as she pulled along one of the platforms in the station. I peeked through one of her small forward facing windows, and saw four other engines, all with faces, just as Lady had.

A large blue tank engine with red wheels, and two interesting looking things sitting on its boiler. The number "6120" was painted on its side in yellow numbering. The engine also appeared to be female, judging by its facial features.

A smaller tank engine, lavender and white in color, with six red wheels, also appearing to be female. A large dark blue steam locomotive with eight red drivers, and a large tender, and finally, a small boxy steam tram, made out of wood. They must have been the other engines Lady spoke of. They all remained silent, waiting for Lady to speak.

"Fellow engines, a step forward has been made tonight. I felt something come through the portal, and upon investigation, found it to be, for once, something that might be able to help us. The one I have been trying to reach for so long has finally decided to enlighten us with his presence. I bring you... Anon. The prophesied one." she said. All of the other engines remained silent as I hesitantly stepped out of Lady's cab, and onto the platform. They all looked at me, a mix of expression's on their faces. I stood awkwardly in place, waiting for somebody to say something.

"What makes you so sure he's the one to help us? He looks just like the others to me." the wooden tram engine asked. Lady glanced at me briefly.

"He withholds Mr. Conductors items, and his name matches the name of the legend. He claims to have found the items, and also to have heard my efforts to reach him. I'm sure he will tell us all the story, now that we're all here." she said, looking back towards me expectantly.

I shrugged, not quite sure of where to start.

"I found a slip of sealed paper in my mailbox, and it claimed there to be a set of tracks in the mountain nearby. I didn't pay it any mind, because I didn't think there was such a thing. Then, that same evening, I found a folded map, and a... whistle, I think Lady called it, at my doorstep. To me, it looked like a kazoo filled with golden powder. I still don't know what purpose it serves, but it apparently means something to all of you. The map specifically had my home marked on it, as well as a mark on the mountain. After a little bit of preparing, I started towards that marked point."

"Why would you just decide to check it out, out of the blue? It didn't seem fishy to you at all?" the large blue tank engine with red wheels asked. I nodded.

"It did. But I had gotten this strange feeling inside me, and it almost felt as if it was trying to tell me to investigate. I had also heard on my radio previously that some out of towners were trying to get permits to head up to the mountain for digging, because they claimed something about a magical thing being in the mountain..." I replied.

"_WHAT_!?" Lady roared suddenly, glaring at me. I stepped back a little. "_More_ of them are trying to find their way here?! And now its been told to others who were listening?! Do you not _realize_ how much more grave that makes our situation!?" she yelled. That thought had not yet occurred to me. I raised my hands calmly, hoping to calm her down.

"Take it easy. They also said that the city wasn't keen on giving them access, since they just showed up out of nowhere. I don't know if they'll get the access or not. But it does leave the question as to how they would know, if the ones already here discovered this place on accident." I said. Lady fumed quietly, thinking about something quite hard.

"Anyway, the night before, I had a really strange thing happen. I was woken in the middle of the night by what sounded like a voice in my ear. It was calling my name, and saying that someone needed me. I heard the same whistle outside I had heard before, coming from the direction of the mountain. Between all of this happening in a few hours, I decided to see what was going on." I finished.

"I was calling you. The voice you heard was mine." Lady said.

I didn't quite believe her, and made the _extremely_ poor decision to make an unnecessary comment.

"I find that hard to believe. This voice was gentle, and soothing. It sounded friendly, and pleading. Ever since I've arrived here, the only way you've spoken to me is by yelling, threatening, or berating me. If you hate me as much as it sounds like you do, I don't think you would have called out to me so nicely. Unless that was just bait to get me here, and then show me your true self." I said, frowning.

The other engines went quiet at my remark, and Lady was looking at me with pure hatred in her eyes eyes, slowly chuffing towards me.

"You know _nothing_ about why I am the way I am, do not act like you do. You cannot _grasp_ the concept of what I have been through, or what is really going on here. You do not know how my magic works, or how I can use it. You are in _no_ place to make accusations, so do not think you can intimidate me, or anyone. You are an _insignificant_ pawn in the reality of this situation, and have no place here, besides the _inadequate_ amount of help you might be able to offer. As I said before, if you were anyone else, I would have killed you already!" Lady growled.

The other engines gasped at her harsh words, their eyes wide. I stood there silently, anger rising inside of me. I balled my fists.

"Fine. If I am so _insignificant_, then I am no help to you, and I'll be on my way. You say you want my help, then say I can provide no help worth mentioning. You have done nothing but insult, threaten, and be cruel to me, and I don't have to take it. I have nothing to do with this world, or anything going on in it. It's not my fight, and it never was. You only prove that looks can be deceiving. When I first saw you, I was dumbfounded, for I had never seen such a beautiful steamer in my life, and I see a lot of them. You kind of reminded me of an angel, in steamer form. But the second you opened your mouth, you frightened me, and have not stopped doing so. You are quite an unpleasant engine, Lady, and I do not wish to be around you any longer. Especially not with your threats of intentional murder because you think I might be lying." I said. Lady's expression changed slightly at the word "Murder." It almost look hurt, but I didn't care.

"Take this as a lesson. If you want help from someone, don't treat them like the scum of the Earth, especially just because of what someone else did. Not everyone is the same, and I'm not the ones you're at war with. I am going back home, where I can continue my life, and hopefully forget I ever met someone as unpleasant as you." I finished, turning my back to Lady, and walking towards the end of the platform.

Part of me thought that Lady would apologize, and beg for me to stay and help, but part of me knew she wouldn't. I had tried to be friendly with her, and she had returned my friendship with hatred, and I didn't have to take it. The words I heard her say as I walked off the platform only fueled my anger.

"Good riddance." she muttered. I stopped for a moment at her words, and then walked away from Knapford, without looking back.


	3. Chapter 3

It had taken quite a while, but _finally_ I reached my truck, still sitting by the portal buffers. I looked inside, and the map, letter, and kazoo-whistle were all still there. It was beginning to get light out, so I assumed night must have been approaching back on Earth. For some reason, the time of day was opposite between the two worlds, at least in this location.

I picked up the letter, and read it again. It still read as before, saying first impressions make all the difference.

"Pfff..." I scoffed, tossing the letter into the passenger seat. If first impressions made all the difference, then Lady wouldn't have bitten my head off after I tried to be kind to her. I started my truck, and turned it around towards the buffers. I glanced in the rear view mirror, almost expecting to see Lady flying up behind me, trying to prevent me from leaving, but the tracks were empty. I shrugged, and drove the truck through the portal.

Once I was slowly making my way through the glowing root filled tunnel, I slowed my truck, so I could think.

_Never_, or very rarely had I ever met someone with such a... a stick up their ass, for lack of a better term. But Lady was right about one thing, at least. I _didn't_ know why she was the way she was. I wasn't sure how she used to be, if it was any different from how she acted now. But something might have happened to cause her to change. Sometimes, something can scar you inside so bad that you have to almost change who you are as to not let it bother you. People like that are the ones who need help.

But Lady didn't even _try_ to be nice to me. Not once. I couldn't help someone who was so blatantly unfriendly.

After a few more minutes, I breached the other side of the magic tunnel, and slammed on the brakes as soon as I got to the other side. I didn't want to go tumbling off the side of the mountain, after all.

Once I stopped, I looked around to find that it was indeed night. I rolled my window down and took a deep breath of fresh air, and took in the silence. Getting down the mountain at night would be a little more difficult, but thanks to my extra headlights, would not be much of a challenge. I got my truck off of the tracks, and began to slowly crawl my way back to the bottom.

. . .

Once I finally got back to my cottage, I stepped inside, and let out a huge sigh of relief. Home again. I hadn't even been gone for twenty four hours, but it felt like it had been weeks. I lit the fire in the fireplace, and put all of the supplies from the bed of the truck back in their rightful places. Although I now knew what was going on with the mysterious Muffle Mountain, I wanted to see if there was any news of the Archaeologists progress with the permits, so I switched on the radio.

Music was playing currently, which was a welcome sound. I didn't find myself particularly hungry, but I did feel tired. According to the clock, it was around six thirty in the evening. To early to go to bed, so I opted for reading a little more of my bedside novel.

But upon opening the book, I found it incredibly hard to focus on the words. How could I read about a make up fictional, unknown world, when there was a real unknown world so close by?

I sighed in frustration, and set the book back onto the table, trying not to think about the world of living trains. But I didn't have much luck. The discovery of that world was possibly the most interesting thing that had ever happened in my life, bar none. I'd love to go back and explore it more, but if I did, I would have to deal with... _her_ again.

That blasted purple engine. Beautiful on the outside, ugly on the inside. The other engines all looked interesting as well, but unfortunately, I hadn't gotten to speak with them individually, which was a real shame. They were all different, and probably each had their own stories to tell. I could have learned about them, and their lives before the war that might have been happening.

That was another thing. Lady had claimed a war to be happening, but everything had seemed so calm. Albeit it was night when I was there, but still, there were no tell tale signs of any battle. No army vehicles, no bodies, no weapons, not even any noise.

Suddenly, I groaned in realization. I was thinking of an _Earth_ war, people against people! Surely, a battle between humans and engines would be different! And the battle wasn't between them, it was between the engines lives, and the humans want for money. Of course there would be differences!

"I'm so stupid..." I whispered, looking out the window. I could see Muffle Mountain in the distance, but thought I saw something else as well. I got up, and walked over to the window for a better look.

Indeed, there was something on the side of the mountain! A light emanating from a higher up position, almost as if a car was parked up there, with its headlights pointed at me.

Or... an engine that had come from the other side.

I looked as hard as I could, and stepped back as suddenly, through the small amount of light left, I could see a sudden plume of steam shoot up from above the lights, and then the light vanished.

It _must_ have been an engine! One of them, anyway. But... Lady had said that they didn't go out during the day, which it would currently be back on their side. I couldn't imagine why one of them would come over here, even for just a moment.

After a few more minutes of watching the mountain, I climbed back into my bed, and shut off the light. I stared at the ceiling for a good while, various thoughts going through my mind.

Eventually, my eyes began to grow heavy, and my breathing began to slow, and I drifted off into a quiet slumber.

. . .

I slept the entire night without interruption, and soon enough, morning arrived. I did my normal routine, and eventually found myself on my way to work. I had called in the previous day, so I was going to make sure to work hard today, so my boss wouldn't think any less of me.

As I pulled into the station parking lot, I noticed a black tank engine already at the station, loading up with passengers. Steam swirled about its body, and its funnel had a trail of smoke lazily trailing out of it. For some reason, seeing it didn't have the same affect as it usually did on me. It seemed kind of... lifeless.

It was still a magnificent machine, but after seeing one that was so beautiful, and... _alive_, it just wasn't the same. Oh, the things I could have asked the engines in the other world. What was it like to be an engine, what can they feel? I could have learned so _much_.

I parked my truck, and got out, locking it behind me. As I walked into the station, I was greeted by my co-workers. I punched in, and walked over to the ticket desk. I flipped on the computer, and while it warmed up, watched as people walked in and out. Once the computer was up and running, my day had officially started.

. . .

Things had been going normally for most of the day, and seeing as I once again held the closing shift, I was alone for the final hour of business. I performed my usual duties, sweeping, organizing, and filing. Once I had finished with all of that, I found myself looking at the art covered wall. I looked at the small switch-house, and the tunnel next to it. The place on the ledge where I had first encountered the gold dust was directly in front of those two pictures.

Why had the dust been inside the station that long ago?

I was so wrapped up in trying to figure out my internal questions, I hadn't heard the door open. When I heard someone clear their throat, I jumped, and turned to find a dark haired woman behind me. Her hair dropped to her shoulders in straight form, and she had a kind smile on her face. I had seen her in before, several times in fact, but had never directly spoken with her.

"Sorry Ma'am. Distracted by my own thoughts. May I help you?" I asked. The woman smiled.

"No, I just wanted to stop by this place on my way home from work. This station means a lot to me. I had some important events of my childhood happen here." she said, bending over to look at the same spot on the wall I had been looking at, the switch-house and tunnel. She lightly tapped on the door of the switch-house, as if a little man would answer, and then ran her fingers along the ledge, before letting loose a quiet sigh.

"It seems so long ago..." she murmured under her breath.

"Sorry?" I asked. She straightened.

"Oh, nothing. Just talking to myself. As I said, I had a magical part of my childhood happen here, but if I told most about it, they wouldn't believe me anyway. I just like to stop and remember it all." she said, holding out her hand. I shook it, and smiled.

"Anon. I'm one of the ticket takers, and receptionists." I said. She nodded.

"I've seen you in here before. You've been here for a few years. Have you ever seen anything... interesting happen with this wall?" she asked. I raised an eyebrow.

"No, not really. Although, a while back, I did find a large cluster of gold dust on this ledge in front of the house. I encountered it again recently, but I still don't have a clue what it is." I said. The woman's face light up in shock.

"You've _seen_ the gold dust?!" she asked.

"Yeah? So?" I asked. She all but pushed me onto a nearby bench, and then sat down next to me.

"Where have you seen it recently?!" she asked. I hesitated, and then pulled out the whistle full of the golden powder from my pocket. For safe keeping, I had the letter, map, and whistle all on hand.

"This. It's a whistle, or something, and it's full of the stuff." I said, handing it to her. Her eyes lit up, and she looked at it intently.

"I don't believe it... it's been nearly twenty years since I've seen this... or heard it." she whispered.

"You've seen it before?" I asked, getting the feeling that this woman knew a good bit about the whistle. She looked at me.

"Yes! It has something to do with the special events that I experienced in my childhood. If... if I tell you, promise you won't think I'm crazy?" she asked. I smiled, and nodded.

"In the world today, what is crazy?" I asked. She smiled.

"When I was little, I had come to this station by mistake. I got on the wrong train, and arrived here. I wandered in here, and found some of this dust on the ledge here, before I was finally given a ride to my grandfather by the old receptionist. He... he had a steam locomotive he had been working on up in the mountain. He always claimed it was magical, and that it was from a different land. Oh, the engine was just the most beautiful thing! Purple, gold, and elegant as could be. It was a small engine, but she was very special. He called her..."

"Lady." I interrupted, feeling my own eyes open in realization. The woman stopped talking, and stared at me in shock.

"You know about her?!" she asked. I nodded slowly.

"You could say that." I said. The woman smiled.

"Well, anyway, here comes the crazy part. We finally got her working, and apparently, she was the key to keeping this whole other world in tact. She was alive, believe it or not. As soon as we went through this special railroad, she became sentient. She had the most beautiful face! She holds this whole other world together, and we saved her. There was a lot more to the story, but I'm sure you already think I'm insane." she finished. I shook my head.

"Not really. I've... had an interesting experience myself with that sort of thing recently. Believe it or not... I met Lady. Less than a day ago. In the other world you speak of, most likely." I said.

"Seriously?! It was really her!?" the woman asked loudly. I leaned back a little at her outburst, and she blushed. "Sorry. I've just never met anyone else besides my husband, or my grandfather that has been there from Earth. How did you find her? How did you find magic railroad?" she asked. I took a deep breath.

"In a sense, I was called to it." I took out the letter and map to let the woman see them. "I found these, and between them, they led me to the entrance. I also had a feeling in my gut that is very hard to describe, but I felt I was supposed to find the entrance. I also heard a whistle in the mountains, and a voice that said someone needed my help. It was Lady calling me, according to her." I said as Lily opened the map. She examined it curiously before turning back to me.

"Why was she calling you?" she asked.

"Well, apparently her and a few other engines are locked in a small war with some humans that found their way over there. For some reason, I'm the prophesied one to come and help them, and she said these items would find their way to me once the time was right. Apparently, that time was a few days ago. So naturally, I went to the other world." I said, glancing at the clock.

"What was it like when you arrived?" asked the woman. I sighed.

"Dark, cold, foggy, and quiet. Lady was the one to find me, but... she wasn't very welcoming. At _all_. She actually threatened to kill me if I wasn't who I said I was, and said she had killed every other person to come through before me. She is a _very_ angry engine, and very closed off. She demanded my help in beating their enemies, but after a while, I snapped, and said I would not help such a miserable being. She's a murderer, a very crude engine, and over all unpleasant. And why should I help them? It's not my fight. I came back here last night, trying to forget everything I had seen. But that's not easy." I finished.

"The Lady I knew was the nicest engine in the world. Kind, compassionate, loving, and pleasant. Are you sure you're talking about the same engine?" asked the woman. I nodded.

"Small Victorian style tank engine with an exposed cab, purple with gold highlights, a tall funnel with a nice crown accessory at the top, a beautiful face, and the word "Lady" on her water tanks." I said. The woman nodded.

"It sounds like her. I can't imagine what happened to her. She was never one to enjoy violence. She holds that world together with her magic, and welcomed anyone who visited. If what you say is true, that has cost her a lot. Are you sure you won't reconsider helping her? If not for her, than for the other engines? I'm sure somewhere inside, Lady is still a kind engine. Maybe she's just putting on a shelled demeanor because of something that happened to her." she suggested. I sighed.

"I don't know. When I said I was going back, she seemed quite happy to see me go. She said she hated me, and all humans. All because of a few bad ones on her side. I don't think there's anything left inside her but cruelty. Although she did say I knew nothing about why she is the way she is, and she's right. But I don't think she'll ever tell me." I said, folding my hands. The woman stood, and I stood with her.

"I wish I could go and see her again, but my life is too busy. I'd love to help you out, I really would. I hope you'll at least give Lady a chance to explain herself. War, no matter how small, is a terrible thing, and it can, and has, ruined lives. Maybe she just needs something positive in her life again. You could be it. You never know." she said, walking towards the door.

"W-wait! I didn't get your name! If I do go back, Lady might want to hear about you again." I said. The woman stopped, and turned.

"My name is Lily. Lily Stone."


	4. Chapter 4

My conversation with Lily stayed in my mind for the rest of my shift, and all the way home that night. By the time I had eaten dinner and gotten my usual night tasks done around the cottage, I found myself facing a tough decision.

To stay here, or to go back, and give Lady a second chance.

The more I thought about it, why would someone like Lady ask for help unless she really needed it? I myself didn't like accepting help from others unless I had to. It's just the way I was, and Lady gave off a vibe that seemed similar. If she asked me for help, then she must know that she needs it. Sometimes you can be the most powerful being on the planet, and still need help.

I looked at myself in the mirror, and realized I had been frowning in thought for quite a while. I relaxed my face, and sighed. I always wanted to help others, even... even if they themselves weren't sure they wanted it. And that meant I wanted to help Lady, even if she was quite off putting. But hopefully, like Lily had suggested, I could change that.

. . .

The next morning I woke up early, but not because I had to work. I didn't, in retrospect. It was the weekend, and the train station was closed, so I had two days off. I had decided the previous night to go back to Lady and the others, and sort them out. I would have to be brave, and I would have to show Lady that I won't be pushed around. But I still needed to be friendly.

I packed all of the food I had into bags, and once again set them into the bed of my truck, along with sleeping provisions, clothes, and other things. I might end up staying longer this time, so I would need more things.

Once I verified that I had everything I needed, I locked my cottage, and climbed into my truck. I knew the route specifically to get to the buffers, so I headed out at once.

Soon I arrived at the base of the mountain, and climbed up with ease. I found myself at the magic buffers, and made sure I really wanted to do this. Would Lady welcome me back after I left? Maybe "welcome back" wasn't the correct term. It was more like "Would she kill me on sight?"

But I would have to take that chance, hoping that if there was any bit of friendship left inside her, it would come out now. Without another thought, I entered the portal.

. . .

After the transition, I found myself once again in the other world. What had she called it? Sodor? It looked the same, foggy air, dark skies, and no sound. I knew how to get to Knapford, I just needed to follow the tracks, so I quietly drove my truck along side the rails, keeping the headlights off, just in case someone should spot me.

I wondered if Lady would come and find me, since she said she knew when something passed through the portal, but she never showed up. The rails were eerily silent and lifeless, glistening in the moonlight. The only audible sound was the quiet growl of my trucks engine, and the crunching of the tires on gravel.

Soon, the faint glow of Knapford appeared, and I pulled my truck away from the tracks, behind a bush, for safe keeping. I cut the engine, and stepped out. I listened, hearing the faint voices of the engines as they talked amongst themselves. I quietly made my way onto a station platform, and the chatter stopped as soon as I stepped into the light. All of the engines were present, except for lady.

The lavender tank engine stared at me, before a smile appeared on her face.

"You came back!" she exclaimed. She had a young sounding, chipper voice. I nodded.

"I did. You all need help, and apparently I'm the one to do it. I let Lady's words and threats get to me last time, but not now. I'll deal with her if I must, if it means I can help you all." I said. "Where is she, anyway?"

The other engines looked worried.

"We haven't seen her since shortly after you left. About an hour after you went back home, she chuffed off without a word. During the day time! We all told her to stay here, because it's dangerous to go out during the day, but she didn't answer. She looked as if something was really bothering her. She hasn't come back, and we've been trying to figure out how to try and find her. Its been so long since we've really been able to go anywhere, most of us don't remember the Island layout anymore. We don't want to get caught in the daylight, unable to find our way back to safety." the large blue tank engine said.

Now it was my turn to be worried.

"Well, I'll have to find her then. It can be my first task as a helper for you all. What are your names?" I asked.

"My name is Rosie!" the lavender engine chirped.

"I'm Belle, the fire engine." the blue tank engine said.

"I am Hiro." the large dark blue engine said calmly.

"Toby." the wooden steam tram said quietly. I nodded.

"Alright. I've got my truck, so I'm going to go out and see if I can find Lady, or at least a clue as to where she is. I don't see her as the type to get lost, or go out when she knows she shouldn't, so something must be up. I'll do everything I can to find her." I said. The other engines smiled.

"We would be most grateful, Anon. As crass as she may be, she is our leader, and the wisest of us all." Hiro said.

"That remains to be seen for me, but I trust your word. I'll find her, and bring her back. I can't do my best to help without her." I said, walking off of the platform back towards my truck. Once I got to it, I started the engine, and pulled it out from behind the bush. I chose a section of track, and started down it.

With no knowledge of how this Island was laid out, it was pure guess work for me as to where Lady might have gone. But, I had to start somewhere.

. . .

I rounded another corner, hoping Lady would be there, but again, she was not. I had been searching for two hours, and had gotten nowhere in my search. Many sections of track were blocked by trees, or other debris, so I knew she only had so many places she could go. I slowed as I approached a large rail tunnel. A single set of tracks disappeared inside, and I wasn't sure where the tunnel led. But, Lady could have gone down there, so I would check it out.

I eased my truck onto the rails, and began to crawl down the pitch black tunnel. I could scarcely see ten feet in front of me. Tall wooden support beams lined the tunnel walls and ceiling, and various rusted rail parts would occasionally be littered along the sides of the rails. The tunnel seemed to swallow up the light that was output into it. I started to feel a little nervous, so I pressed the gas, and sped up, so I could get out of the tunnel as quickly as possible.

The tunnel turned into a curve, and suddenly, I slammed on the brakes, skidding to a stop just mere inches from the obstacle in front of me. The headlights were shining brightly on a large purple surface, and I stepped out to see it clearly.

It was Lady.

I took a flashlight I kept in the glove compartment of the truck, and walked to her front. Her eyes were closed, and she was breathing quietly. She was asleep, but that's not the only thing I noticed. Even in the dim light of the pocket flashlight, it was clear that she had been crying. Dried trails of tears ran down her cheeks, and her eyes would occasionally twitch, as if they were irritated.

"What happened to you, Lady?" I whispered to myself, putting a hand on her buffer. I looked around the tunnel, not able to see an end on either side. The tunnel must have been at least a few miles long, and looked very old. It looked as if it was dug directly into the ground, instead of through a hill or something. The entrance had been near the coastline, boring into the side of a large cliff.

I poked my head into Lady's cab, and saw the problem. Her fire had gone out, and her coal bunker was empty. As I looked the her rear coupling hook, I got an idea. I had several feet of strong chain in the bed of the truck, for pulling and towing things. Maybe I could pull Lady out of the tunnel with the truck? She was a small engine, and the way my truck was modified, it was probably strong enough to do it.

But I didn't want to do it without waking Lady and telling her what was going on. She might freak at the unintentional movement, and blast me or something. She said she had magical properties, and I wasn't sure I wanted to find out the extent of her powers.

"Lady?" I called gently. She didn't move, or show any sign of waking. "Lady?!" I said, louder. That did it. Her brow furrowed, and her eyes opened slightly. She blinked a few times, and then looked around the darkness of the tunnel, before finding the source of the dim light, and looked at me. She looked surprised when she saw me.

"You?! What are you doing here?!" she asked snootily. I sighed at her still hostile attitude towards me.

"Trying to find, and rescue you, for one! All the others are worried about you, and don't know what to do, so I volunteered to try and find their leader. They all need you, and if I'm going to help, I do too." I said. Lady looked slightly confused.

"But... I thought you were going home?" she asked. I nodded.

"I was, and did, for a little bit. I just needed some time to cool off, and gather my thoughts. They way I was welcomed here didn't exactly give me a good first impression of the place, or its inhabitants." I said. Lady was quiet, a slight look of remorse on her face.

"I... you have to understand where I'm coming from... it's not easy to be open after..." she stuttered. I scowled.

"I _don't_ understand, and I don't know what it's like, Lady. You've told me very little about yourself, or any of the others. I don't know where you're coming from, or how you've changed, and I won't unless you tell me. But, I want to help regardless, under one condition. You _stop_ treating me like dirt, and at least _try_ and be polite and civil towards me. Being treated poorly makes me not want to help. I want to help Lady, and I want to be your friend." I said. I offered a smile, trying to show her I meant what I said.

Lady's eyes widened at my words, and she looked down at the ground, before nodding slowly.

"I suppose, in the interest of everyone, it is best if I try. I will do my best to cease my hostilities towards you, Anon. I regret what I said earlier. I am... _pleased_, that you have returned. But I'm stuck now, how can I get back? I foolishly puffed to far without refueling, and I've been here for a day because of it." she said. I pointed behind her.

"I've got my truck, and a set of heavy duty chains. I think I can pull you out of this tunnel to a coal station, or back to Knapford if I need to." I said. Lady looked doubtful.

"It is a long way, and it won't be easy. The others cannot help?" she asked. I shook my head.

"They don't even know _why_ you left, _especially_ during the day! If everything I've been told so far is true, then it was incredibly dangerous for you to be out during daylight. Why on Earth would you do that?" I asked. Lady sighed.

"I... left in hope of finding you. I had hoped you had not actually gone, but just went to another part of the Island. I realized that although I dislike you, you are essential to our survival, and I cannot allow my personal feelings to interfere. I looked for you everywhere I could, but you were not here. I ran out of fuel, and have been stuck since." she said. I thought back to the other night, when I thought I saw a light on Muffle Mountain.

"Did you go through the portal, to my side?" I asked. Lady nodded.

"I did. I went there first, hoping that if you did leave, I could have caught you, but I was too late." she said, closing her eyes. I shrugged.

"Well, I'm here now. Although, I was convinced to come back. I met a woman who knew about you, and she told me all about who you used to be, and the part you play as a whole for this world. Her name was Lily Stone." I said. Lady's eyes moistened, and she choked out a quiet sob at the mention of the woman's name.

"Lily. Oh Lily... she's still alive, and she remembers me?" she asked quietly as a few tears fell down her face. I nodded, unsure if I should comfort her or not.

"She told me how you hold this world together, and that you are the most kind engine in the world. She wanted to help, but her own life got in the way. She'd love to see you again." I said.

"_No_!" Lady said, a sudden look of fright on her face. "No, I... I won't see her. I can't allow her to see me. She doesn't know what I've done. If she knew... she'd hate me. She'd hate me for as long as she lived." she whispered, shuddering slightly.

"What _have_ you done?" I asked. Lady remained silent. I quietly walked over to her. "Lady... if you ever want to talk... about your past, what changed you, or even just go through happy memories... I'll always listen. It's not good to keep things bottled up." I said.

"Perhaps... another time Anon. Another time. It might be beneficial for you to learn about me, so you can help us more efficiently. Although you may not like what you hear." she said. I sighed, and put a hand on her. Lady seemed to twitch at my touch, as if she had not felt the touch of another in years.

"I don't want you to tell me unless you want to, Lady. There's no point if you don't want to share. Whether I do or don't like what you tell me, I just want you to know that I'll always lend an ear, a shoulder to cry on, or support if you need it. That's what friends do. I consider you a friend, starting now." I said. Although she said nothing, Lady looked as if my words meant a lot to her.

"I see." she finally said quietly. I stood there in awkward silence for about ten seconds, before I decided she wasn't going to say anything else. I walked behind her, and attached the heavy chains to her coupling hook, and then to the other end to my truck, and made sure they were securely in place.

"As long as you stay off your brakes, I think there's a good chance of getting you out of here." I said, walking back to the truck. I had managed to turn it around in the narrow tunnel with a lot of back and forth steering, and it was now facing the direction I had come in. I shifted it into low gear, and engaged the four wheel drive, before pressing the gas. As the truck rolled forwards, the chains stretched, and creaked. Once they were straightened out, I gave the truck a little more gas, and after a moment of tire spin, Lady's wheels gave out a groan, and a squeak, and then she began to slowly move backwards.

"Now I've got you!" I called, as the truck successfully began to tow Lady behind it. I crawled through the tunnel, the steady growl of your trucks engine the only sound. Lady was quiet, and I was concentrating on keeping the RPM's up, but not to high. After determining that it would take at least ten minutes to pull Lady out, I decided to attempt a conversation with Lady.

"Where does this tunnel go? It's very long." I asked.

"It goes to Misty Island. It's an underground tunnel, and hasn't been used in years. I deemed it necessary to check, in case you had gone down it yourself. You would be in a lot of danger if you had gone to the Island. No one has inhabited it in years, and it's very easy to get lost." she replied quietly. I took note that ever since my conversation with her, Lady had grown quiet. Maybe she just needed some time to herself. I decided to let her be, and focused on my current task.

After a while, I began to see the faint glow of outside light coming from the tunnel. Between all the time I had spent searching before finding the tunnel, being in the tunnel, and conversing with Lady, it had grown light out. Not an ideal situation.

"Um... it's day outside. What should we do now?" I asked. Lady suddenly applied her brakes, jerking the truck to a stop, and stalling the engine. I pulled it out of gear, and applied the parking brake.

"We must stay here then, until night falls. I cannot risk you being out in the light of day. I am expendable, as my death will not greatly affect our survival chances, but if you are killed, we will lose for sure." she said solemnly. I stepped out of the truck, and went back to Lady.

"You're _not_ expendable Lady, no one is. Everyone has a part to play, you especially. If you're killed, this whole Island will fall apart, not to mention the fact that the other engines need you. You're their leader, and their friend." I said. Lady sighed.

"I do not even know them that well. They are not my friends, but merely... teammates, as it were. I know nothing about them, and they know nothing of me. We merely discuss strategies, and ideas in our time. There is no point in discussing our old lives, as we will most likely never get them back." she said. I frowned.

"_Wow_. Okay, there's a lot wrong with that statement. Everyone needs friends, Lady, and there's no downside to having them. There's also nothing wrong with reliving memories, especially in difficult times. And there's no harm in telling others about yourself." I said. Suddenly, Lady's somber expression hardened, and she glared at me.

"No harm?_ No harm_?! You're telling me that if I told the others about myself, they would accept it? They would accept that fact that I'm a _monster_ of an engine, who has lived a life most couldn't handle, and the fact that I've _killed_ those that I held dear to my heart? That I _murdered_ the very man that gave me a second chance at life?! You really think they'd accept the fact that I've killed innocent people, people who have done _nothing_ but try and help me, and people who thought I wouldn't dream of violence? Would they really accept _that_?!" she shouted, before breaking down into tears.

As Lady sobbed, I had backed against the tunnel wall at her outburst. Was that what was weighing on her so heavily all this time? She had... had killed people? People that loved her, and ones she loved? But why would she do that?

"W-What?" I asked, looking at her with a mix of compassion and fear. Lady sobbed to herself, and after a while, became quiet. I walked up to her, and looked directly into her sad eyes. I could see such pain in her eyes, pain and regret. There was a story behind her past, one that needed to be told. I placed a hand to Lady's face, and she cringed, as if I was going to hurt her.

"Lady... what happened?" I whispered. She closed her eyes for moments, before she finally let out a slow, shuddering breath.

"Mistakes. Mistakes and accidents. Ones I made... that cost others their lives." she said quietly. I waited for her to continue, and once she saw that I wanted to hear what she had to say, she sighed.

"I suppose Lily mentioned her grandfather, the man who fixed me?" she asked. I nodded.

"She said something about him, yes." I replied. Lady nodded.

"Burnett Stone. He spent years in the mountain fixing me, days and nights trying to get me to work. But he never knew that... that even though I wasn't... alive, per say, I was aware of my surroundings. I heard every word he spoke, and felt every action he made. He told me stories of his past, and... I don't know, I guess he thought he was talking to himself. He couldn't have known I could hear him, deep down inside. I couldn't speak, or make any notion that I could hear him, so he thought I was dead. But... through all of his stories and years I spent with him trying to fix me... I became close to him. He loved me as family. I loved him... much more..." she said. My eyes widened a little. I motioned for her to continue.

"He, Lily, and Patch finally got me working, and brought be here, where I regained my consciousness, and he saved me again. From another engine who wanted to kill me. That only fueled my feelings for him. I accepted him as my Rider, because I loved him, and he had saved me. He would always tell me stories of Tasha, and how much I reminded him of her. In a way, I think Tasha's soul partially made its way into mine. I'm a lot like her, although I forget what she was like now. She was Lily's grandmother. But anyway... Burnett and I loved each other differently, but we were still happy for a while. Until... I made a mistake... that cost him is life." Lady said, beginning to shake. I placed my hand to her in comfort, and gave her a reassuring smile.

"You don't have to talk about this if you don't want to, Lady." I said. She shook her head.

"No, no, I need to. You... deserve to know. To know who... and _what_... you're helping." she whispered. "Burnett and I were out one day, and we had been going up a hill. We stopped about half way up the hill for some reason, I don't remember what, but he had gotten out to check something behind me. Ah, I remember now. He thought I was leaking water, and was checking the tracks behind me for water trails. I... I had been daydreaming... and hadn't noticed when my brake started to slip." Lady whispered, shutting her eyes tightly as more tears tried to come forth.

"I began to roll backwards... and by the time I realized it, and tried to brake..." Lady's lip quivered for a moment, as tears began to flow down her cheeks. "I... It was to late! He was kneeling on the tracks behind me, inspecting the ground! He wasn't looking towards me. I... I killed him! _I killed my Rider_!" she said, her sobs wailing into the empty tunnel. She shook violently, her wheel rods rattling, and her tears poured down her face like waterfalls. I had never seen someone in so much emotional pain.

"What... is a Rider?" I asked quietly. Lady forced her eyes shut.

"It's the one we choose to be bonded with us. They're the most important thing in our lives, and it's our job to _protect_ them. We share pain, thoughts, emotions, and sometimes... love. I was supposed to protect him, but instead..._ I killed him_!" she said, sobbing harder.

"Lady..."

"NO! Don't tell me different! I know what I am! I'm a monster engine, who has killed the one who gave her life, and the one who loved her! I'm an abomination! A killing machine! I do not deserve friends, or anyone! I..." she whimpered softly. "I deserve to die..."

I leaned towards Lady, and wrapped my arms around her. Well, her face at least. I leaned my cheek against hers, as wet with tears as it was.

"I-I'm so sorry... Lady..." I said, a few tears of my own forming.

"I do not deserve your compassion..." she whispered, sniffling as she continued to cry. I looked at her.

"Everyone deserves compassion. Lady... I... I'm sorry. For what I said the other day, when I called you a murderer. I... I didn't know what I was saying..." I said. I felt awful for what I had said to her.

"But you're right... I'm a killer." she said, looking down at the ground. I shook my head.

"No you're not. You didn't mean to, and you know it. A killer is someone who gets some kind of sick pleasure from killing, and does it willingly. You had an accident. As unfortunate as it is... they do happen. They are no one's fault. Just an unfortunate happening." I said, drying Lady's tears with your sleeve.

"But I've done more than that! I've killed others that come to this Island! I AM a murderer!" she exclaimed. I sighed.

"Lady... there's a difference. While killing those who show up here is not justified... it's not murder. With the war, or whatever it really is, happening here, you're just trying to prevent it from getting worse. While there are probably better methods, no one can blame you for trying to prevent things from getting worse." I said. Lady remained quiet. I stood, and patted her gently.

"You're not a bad engine Lady, you're just the victim of bad circumstances. It's not your fault, nothing of what you just told me is. I know you probably don't want to hear it, but... you're not a murderer. At least, not in my eyes. You shouldn't dwell on all of the negative things that happened, and especially don't let them change who you are. If you really feel you are a bad engine, the least you can do is try harder not to be, instead of letting that feeling control you. Prove to yourself and others that you're not a bad engine." I said. Lady was quiet, probably processing everything I had just said. I decided to let her be for a few minutes, and walked back to my truck to pull out the letter, deciding to give it a read, in case it had changed.

It had, but not in the way I expected.

It was blank.

No words, pictures, or anything. What did that mean? I set the letter back down, and furrowed my brow in thought.

Perhaps even the magical properties of the letter didn't know what would happen next. Maybe it was all up to me now, and it was time for me to make my own decisions. I didn't know for sure, but I decided it was still a good idea to hold onto the paper, just in case.

I got back out, and went back to Lady, who was still sulking.

"Is there anything I can do to make you feel better?" I asked.

"No. Although, you could explain to me why you came back a little more, and why you'd want to be my friend. It would help me understand you a little better." she said. I smiled, happy to oblige.

"Well, I came back because I'm the type of person who always wants to help others. I admit, when I first arrived her, you gave me quite a scare. It's enough to be on a brand new world on your own, it's another to have a much larger than yourself engine threatening to kill you, or be aggressive towards you." I said, glancing at Lady, who looked more depressed.

Way to go dumbass.

"But I understand _why_ now, Lady. I don't hold it against you, or blame you for it. You were just being careful, and trying to protect yourself and the others. When Lily told me about you, about the Lady sheknew, I realized something must have happened to change you. Someone doesn't just change like that for no reason. And now that you've told me, I understand completely. I think you've felt alone for a long time, Lady, and it's wearing on you. I want to be your friend, and end your period of loneliness. I want to make your life better." you said, smiling at her.

Lady let out a quiet sigh, and looked at me, a very... VERY small smile on her face.

"You made it better the second you came back. I blamed myself for you leaving, that I had doomed us all by scaring you off. I'm so very glad you came back. And... thank you for persuading me to tell you about my past. I don't like talking about it, but I've never told anyone before. It feels... good, to share my pain, and have you understand why I am the way I am now. And I appreciate your efforts to improve my life." she said quietly.

"You're welcome. I'll do everything I can to help all of you. With my knowledge of trains, my mechanical skill, and your knowledge of this Island, I think we'll make a good team." I said.

"When we get back, we must convene with the others, and face our biggest issue first." Lady said. I frowned.

"What issue is that?" I asked. Lady sighed.

"I'm sure you've noticed the lack of smooth running I've been doing. My smoke is dirty and black, I squeak and rattle, and I wobble and sway. My parts are worn out, and so are the others. You are the first human contact we've had in years. No one has maintained us since the enemy arrived. Most of the people fled, were hurt, or worse. Some of the engines fled, some tried to stay and fight. We are the only fighters left." she said. I nodded.

"I'll see what I can do. I'll give you all a close inspection. But now I'm curious... how have you all stayed running with no human help? How do you refuel?" I asked.

"A good question. Automatic coal bunkers and water towers. There is a large coal reserve, built to contain enough coal for all the engines on the island. It automatically fills our tenders and bunkers when we chuff under it. Since we do not travel far, and there are only five of us, the coal has lasted a long time, but even it is getting old. It does not power us as well as it should. The water tower is also automatic, and is filled by the rain, which frequents this place." she explained.

"Once we get back, I'll try and fix everything I can." I said, formulating a plan in my head.


	5. Chapter 5

Lady and I had both fallen asleep after a few hours, which was good for both of us. The light hours were Lady's usual sleeping time, and I was catching up on my sleep since I would be up all night with the engines and their reversed schedule.

I eventually woke up a good while later, and looked outside. The sun was setting, so it would be time to get Lady out of the tunnel soon. I looked over at the sleeping tank engine, and sighed. In one day, I had learned so much about her. I was surprised she had told me as much as she had, but it might have been due to her emotional breakout.

I rechecked the chains attaching my truck to her, and then put a hand on the side of her cold boiler.

"Time to wake up, my Lady." I whispered. Her eyes suddenly flew open, and she looked at me in utter shock.

"What did you say?!" she asked in a shocked tone. I wasn't sure why she was surprised, so I was a little weary of her outburst.

"Uh, it's time to wake up? The sun is setting. We can get you out soon." I repeated. Lady visibly calmed.

"Oh. I thought I heard you say something else. I thought I heard you say something that... that Burnett used to say." she said quietly. I shrugged, and inspected Lady's wheels to make sure nothing was blocking their path.

"If I ever say anything to remind you of him, just tell me, and I won't say it anymore. I don't want to keep reminding you of the past." I said, leaning against the tunnel wall. Lady looked a little bitter, and said nothing. I took that as my cue to leave her alone, and walked back to the truck. I popped the hood, and inspected the engine, making sure it was still in good operating condition. One worry I had now was fuel. The truck was powered by a Detroit Diesel V8, and took diesel fuel. I took a wild guess, and figured there weren't any operating gas stations on Sodor, at least not anymore. I would have to use the remaining fuel wisely.

I closed the hood after finding the engine to be in satisfactory condition, and leaned against the front of the truck, watching the sun disappear over the horizon. Once it was good and dark, I cracked my knuckles.

"Alright, we should be able to go now." I called, starting the trucks engine. I didn't see it, but Lady flinched as the big engine roared throughout the tunnel, echoing off the walls. I had grown used to the loud exhaust, but Lady had only heard it a few times. I shifted the truck into gear, and after some careful feathering of the clutch and gas pedal, Lady slowly started to roll with my truck out of the tunnel.

Once she was out completely, she let out an audible sigh of relief.

"I feared I would be stuck in that tunnel forever, seeing nothing but darkness. My headlamp went out while I was in there, so I couldn't see anything." she said, shuddering a little at the memory. I patted her side.

"Well lucky for you, I found you. You were so busy trying to find me, I ended up finding you!" I said, laughing a little. Lady didn't seem to find it humorous.

"I am grateful for you finding me, Anon. It is appreciated." she said, looking around, before she frowned. "Do you hear that?" she asked quietly. I listened carefully, and after a moment, did indeed hear something. A faint rumbling, steadily getting louder. Suddenly, Lady's eyes turned to pin pricks.

"Get back in the tunnel!" she hissed loudly, looking frantically left and right.

"What?! What is it?!" I asked, quickly unhooking the chains from the truck. Lady looked towards the direction of the sound.

"Quickly, hide yourself! Leave me!" she said. I frowned. If I was in danger, that meant Lady was too. I wasn't going to leave her helpless against whatever it was that was worrying her. I quickly shifted the truck into reverse, and backed it into Lady's rear buffers.

"Ah! What are you doing?!" she exclaimed as she suddenly began to roll forwards back into the tunnel. I pressed the gas down harder, and with a final push, we both went back into the darkness of the tunnel. Lady slammed on her brakes, and slid to a stop, my truck bogging down at the sudden restraint. I took it out of gear.

"Shut off the engine!" Lady said. I did as I was told, and listened as the rumbling got louder. We were back far enough into the tunnel that no one from the outside could see us, but I could see outside the tunnel.

I squinted as a shape appeared at the end of the tunnel, slowly moving past, rumbling vibrations coming from it. A large, dark shape crawled by, and then vanished from your available vision. Lady was practically hyperventilating, and I knew for something to frighten her that badly, it must have been serious. I quickly got out of the truck, and went to her.

"It's alright, its passed! Calm down! It's gone!" I said, trying to comfort her. Suddenly, Lady pushed me away with her buffer, and in the low light of the tunnel, I could see her glaring at me.

"You fool, why did you not hide when I said to!? You could have been caught, and _killed_!" she said loudly. I glared back at her.

"Well excuse me, but you're just as important as I am. If I hid, you would have been helpless! No steam, no nothing! I'm here to help, and that involves helping you not get killed by whatever it is out there!" I said. Lady's expression softened slightly, and she groaned.

"I have _magic_, Anon. I could have fended for myself to a degree. You have no idea what that was. I can't believe it's still here... I'd know that sound anywhere. There's nothing else on the Island that sounds like that." she said shakily.

"Care to enlighten me? What is it that has you so worked up?" I asked. Lady closed her eyes, and let out a shaky breath.

"An engine. An evil one. I thought me and the other four were the only ones left on the Island. If that engine is still around... that can only mean he's teamed up with the men from your world, and is trying to find us." she said. I scratched my head.

"Why wouldn't they have just destroyed him too?" I asked.

"They probably saw his destructive potential, and his hatred for us Steamers doesn't help our case either. That engine... is the one I was saved from years ago, by Burnett. He is the most evil thing ever created, and has tried to kill me twice. If he knew that I was still here now..." she trailed off, the idea seeming to frighten her more. She trembled in place, and closed her eyes, as if trying to will her memories away. I hadn't ever seen Lady look so frightened.

"He won't hurt you Lady. I won't let him. I'm taking a responsibility now, for all of you. I'll do anything I can to keep all of you safe, even if I have to go up against that engine myself." I said firmly. Lady looked at me with an expression of sympathy.

"I envy you Anon. You are not frightened because you do not understand. I only _wish_ I could be at such a level of peace as you." she said. I shook my head.

"Maybe I'll learn Lady. I won't pretend I understand everything that's at stake here, because I don't fully. At least not yet. Maybe once we get back, you can teach me." I said. We were both quiet for some time, listening for any more sounds, but none came. Finally, I sighed.

"We're going to have to go back at some point Lady, the sooner the better. Safety in numbers, and all that." I said. Lady shook her head.

"No, I don't want to! He still might be out there!" she argued. I almost laughed. She sounded like a child who was terrified of a monster in their closet. Maybe it was time for me to play the role of the parent.

"We're going. I can't help if I'm stuck in here with you, no offense. Just let me take care of you. I'll get you back quickly." I said, starting the trucks engine. I began to tug at Lady's coupling hook, but she would not release her brakes, being the seemingly stubborn engine she is.

"God dammit Lady, let go! We need to get back!" I said, pressing the gas pedal once again.

"You're going to get us killed!" she said, still holding her position. I released the gas pedal, and let the truck idle, processing some thoughts.

Where was the warrior engine I had known Lady to be? Brave, and bold. Now, she was scared, and stubborn. I had to put my foot down.

"Lady, either you let me pull you back to the station, or I'll go back myself, and leave you here. Here, alone in the darkness with your thoughts. It's up to you." I said, waiting for her response. Eventually, I heard a creak come from Lady, and the truck jerked slightly. I pressed the gas again, and Lady began to move backwards with the truck.

I poked the nose of the truck out of the tunnel, and looked around, making sure the coast was clear. It seemed to be, so I hauled Lady out, and pulled her down the track towards the station, silence remaining in between the two of us.

. . .

It had been about half and hour, and we were finally nearing the station. It had been slow going, between the fact that I was towing an engine with a truck, and the fact that it was dark out, and I wasn't using the headlights. But finally, I saw the low glow from the abandoned station, and headed towards it.

Once I pulled Lady into the station, all of the other engines began to talk at once, some voicing their opinion of Lady being so foolish, some asking where she had been. I stepped out, and raised my hands. The other engine's quieted.

"Enough, all of you! All that matters is that she's back, and is well. She just ran out of fuel, simple as that. We would have been back sooner, but we had a few complications. But she's here now, so everyone calm down." I said. The other engines quieted, until they were all silent. I looked to Lady, and nodded at her.

"Lady, would you care to explain?" I asked. Lady made no notion of hearing me. In fact, she looked... well, it was hard to explain. She had a mixture of expressions on her face. Worry, confusion, and anger, all at the same time. There was more to her face than that, but I couldn't pinpoint it. She did not speak, so I decided to tell the others.

"She was trying to find me, and catch me before I could return home. She was worried that if I left, there would be no hope for any of you. She felt if I had gone, you all would be doomed, because of her. She ran out of fuel, which is why I ended up towing her back. Thankfully, she is a small engine, so my truck was able to handle it. We couldn't go out during the day, so we waited until dark to come back. That's why it took so long." I explained.

My explanation seemed to satisfy the others, and Rosie puffed forwards.

"I'll shunt Lady over to get more coal and fuel. Then, maybe we can all get to know you a little." she said, gently pushing an unusually quiet Lady out of the station.

. . .

While waiting for Rosie and Lady to return, I sat on a bench, and made small talk with the other engines.

"I used to work at the Sodor Search and Rescue Center. I was one of two fire engines. The other was able to travel on roads, and rails. He was taken to the mainland back when the war first started. We can't leave now, because the bridge to the mainland was destroyed. Intentionally. Thinking was it would make it a lot harder for the enemy to travel to the mainland, if they wanted to. The road to the mainland is very difficult to find if you're not from Sodor." Belle said.

"I see. I suppose there's some logic to that, although it makes me wonder how they expected you all to leave if you wanted to." I said.

"We were among the engines who wanted to stay and fight. Sodor is our home, and we don't want to give it up, without a fight. Unfortunately, it seems the only way." Toby said. I bobbed my head in thought.

"I understand that, but sometimes..." I stopped talking as Rosie entered the station. All eyes turned to her.

"Where's Lady?" I asked.

"She went back to her shed. She said she wanted to be alone, but when day comes, you're supposed to sleep in her shed, so she can make sure you're safe." Rosie said.

"What is _with_ her?" I asked aloud. Ever since the sighting of that engine she seemed so terrified of, she had been very out of character. I wanted to ask the others what the story was between her and the engine, but decided it might be best not to inform the others that the engine was still around. I settled instead for asking the engines about their running condition.

"So Lady said its been a while since any of you have had proper maintenance. Is that right?" I asked. All the engines looked to Hiro, who sighed.

"Yes. I do not move under my own power, and the others all have problems of their own." he said.

"I wobble when I chuff, and my boiler feels hot. It's been that way for years, and I'm afraid to do very much because I'm worried I might blow something." Rosie said.

"My water cannons are clogged, and my bearings are worn." Belle added.

"My firebox needs cleaning, and my body needs a repaint." Toby said.

"But Lady is worse than all of us. She travels the most, and is in the worst condition, next to myself. She wouldn't admit it, but she struggles greatly when moving. She tires easily, because of the effort it takes her to move. We all worry if she keeps it up, she'll break down somewhere, and we won't be able to help her." Hiro said. I leaned back on the bench, making a mental note of all the engines problems.

"Right, that make sense. I'm quite familiar with locomotives, although I'm not a mechanic. I know how they work, and all about how they're built. If there was a good supply of tools and spare parts, I bet I could fix most of your problems. It would just take a little elbow grease." I said.

. . .

I chatted with the four engines for most of the night, and I had learned that there was a parts shed with both tools, and spare parts readily available near the shed where Lady stayed. There was a large rail yard near the station, and it had multiple sheds. All of the engine's stayed in pairs, for safety, except for Lady. Hiro said she claimed a large shed to herself, probably because she was the leader, and saw it as a status symbol or something. I was supposed to stay with her, so once all the other engines made their way into the yard, they pointed me in the right direction.

A large stone building stood before me, a large closed door at the front, with a set of tracks leading into it. I hesitantly opened the large door, just enough for me to enter, and then closed it behind me. Lady was tucked away at the far end of the building, with her eyes closed. Most likely, she was asleep, and I thought it best not to disturb her.

I walked next to her, and saw what appeared to be a make-shift mattress made from an assortment of sandbags. Perhaps Lady had made it for me?

Regardless of who made it, it looked to be the most comfortable thing in the shed, which was saying something. I lay back on the sandbags, and sighed. The ceiling of the old shed was high in the air, and the only light in the building came from a small window in the side. The sun was rising, and everyone was tucked away for the day. I was about to close my eyes, and give a try to some sleep, when suddenly I made quite a mistake.

I sneezed. Bother the dust in the shed.

Lady's eyes snapped open, a low growl coming from the engine. She looked at me with a fierce expression, and suddenly, I found myself being picked up off my sandbag bed, and hovering in front of her. Apparently her magic was not limited to telekinesis.

"Did you wake me?!" she demanded, a furious scowl on her face. I grinned sheepishly.

"Uhh... sorry?" I said. Lady's growling increased, and her eyes began to glow with her golden aura. She brought me closer to her face, and I could feel her hot breath on me.

"I. _Hate_. Being. Woken. _Early_." she said in a dangerously low voice. I frantically tried to think of something I could do to distract Lady. I said the first thing that came into my head.

"H-Hey, has anyone told you how _beautiful_ your eyes are?" I asked nervously. Lady stopped bringing me closer, and looked at me with a confused expression. I nearly scowled at my own sentence. That wasn't what I was thinking of saying, but nonetheless, it seemed to make her falter. Perhaps, as with most, a compliment or two was a good way to get her to forgive me? It was worth a shot.

"A-And your... uh... smile? Yes, your smile! It surely brightens the day of anyone who sees it! You don't seem to smile much, so when you do, it is... magical?" I added. Lady's growling ceased, and she had her eyes fixated on me in a strange way.

"D-Don't forget your paintwork! You are a very pretty engine! W-Why, I d-dare say I've never seen an engine as _majestic_ as you! A-and your voice! It's the v-voice of an angel!" I rambled. I felt my feet touch the ground, as Lady had slowly lowered and released me. A faint hint of a blush was on her face, her mouth was parted slightly, and her aura had faded. She was now looking at me in a mix of confusion and surprise.

I stood before her, teetering on my feet as I waited for something to happen. Finally, Lady blinked, and looked away from me.

"G-Go to sleep, you f-foolish man..." she said, giving me a rough shove towards the sandbags with her magic. I stumbled into them, and turned myself over to be laying on my back once again.

"I didn't mean to wake you. I'm sorry." I apologized. Lady was quiet, and looked a little nervous.

"Just... don't do it again. I do not take kindly to being forced awake. I might not be able to control myself if you do it again." she finally said. I nodded.

"Noted." I said. I stayed quiet, as you wanted to let Lady fall back asleep. However, she broke the silence a few minutes later.

"Anon?" she asked. I slowly turned to look at her. She looked down at me, and then sighed.

"I apologize. I did not mean to scare you. It's just... sleep is the only time I can get away from the reality of my existence. It's the only time I can be happy, and be in a world where nothing goes wrong. Sometimes it's the only thing that keeps me sane. I just... I hate leaving it when I wake up everyday, and I want to stay in my dreams as long as I can. That's why I hate being woken up." she said.

"I understand. I'll do my best to be quiet when you are asleep." I said, feeling sorry for the poor engine. She had most likely been alive for a very long time, and a good bit of her life hadn't been very nice, according to her. No wonder she liked to sleep, and get away from it all.

I listened to Lady's steady breathing as she fell back into her slumber, and I soon followed, thus completing my first full day on the Island of Sodor.


	6. Chapter 6

I woke in the middle of the night, and was finding it difficult to sleep. My internal clock was beginning to get thrown off by the twisted hours, so I would most likely have some sleeping troubles for a few days.

I lay on my sandbag bed, completely still. As I stared at the ceiling, I heard what sounded like... a sob.

I turned over slowly to look at Lady. The shed was dark, except for the small amount of light coming in through the side window. But even in the low light, I knew someone was crying... and it wasn't me.

Lady had a few tears running down her face, and she looked quite depressed. I quietly stood, and walked over to her. She had not taken notice of me yet, as she was staring out the window at the daylight outside.

"Lady?" I asked. Lady gasped, and with unintentional magic force, sent me _hurtling_ across the shed, before I slammed into the concrete wall, and slumped to the ground. Lady gasped once she realized who I was.

"_Anon_!" she exclaimed. She quickly picked me up with her magic, and floated me over to her. She set me down on her front bumper, and was looking down at me in shock. "Anon?! Are you alright?! I didn't _mean_ to hurt you! You startled me." she said. I groaned, and lifted my head slowly. I hadn't yet realized that I was laying on her bumper, so I rolled over, and fell off onto the tracks in front of her, _narrowly_ missing her sharp front coupling hook.

"Ow..." I groaned, laying flat on the tracks. I had a splitting headache, and my back hurt.

"Are you alright? Oh _please_ don't tell me your hurt! It's my fault." Lady said frantically. She seemed quite concerned for my well being all of the sudden. I finally sat up, and winced as several bones cracked and popped.

"Oof. Y-Yeah, I'll be alright." I said, slowly standing up. Lady winced as I groaned, and finally stood up straight. I remembered why I had gotten up in the first place, and looked at her.

"Lady... were you crying?" I asked, although I knew she had been. Lady tried to toughen her expression, but I saw pain coming through it.

"M-_Me_? Crying? What a silly idea. I'm a tough engine, and... tough engine's don't cry." she said, growing quiet. I put a hand to her, and gave her a look of compassion.

"Come on Lady. I'm your friend, I want to know what's wrong." I said gently. Lady sighed, and looked down at the ground.

"Did... did you mean what you said earlier?" she asked quietly, looking back up at me with her large eyes. I scratched my head.

"Which thing I said earlier?" I asked.

"W-When you said I was... _beautiful_? And my eyes, smile, and everything else. Did you really mean it, or were you just saying it because you were frightened?" she asked. I raised my eyebrows at her unexpected question, and felt heat rising to my face. I looked down at the ground, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Y-Yes, I meant it." I said. Lady stared at me blankly for a moment, before a single tear rolled down her cheek and she let out a shuddering sob.

"Um... t-this might come as an unusual request, but... w-would you... sit on me? Sit on my bumper, or something. I... I haven't felt the touch of another in a very long time. I miss it." she requested quietly. I saw no issue with her request, and gently leaned against her front bumper, my hands in my pockets. Lady let out a content sigh, before speaking again.

"No one has given me a compliment since... since Burnett. I quickly became... closed off, and... and angry after his death. I think all of the other engines were afraid to speak to me unless they had to. I hate myself for what I've become now. An engine with a cold heart, and one that's not approachable. I miss... all of it. I miss working in Anopha Quarry, I miss seeing others. I even miss the noise of the Quarry. It was loud and dirty, but it gave me a purpose." she said.

"You have a purpose Lady. Holding this world together, and doing everything you can for the others. Haven't we been over this?" I asked.

"I know... but I've felt this way for so long... I can't see any other way. I've been alone for so long, and so closed off... when you came back the second time, that was the first time I'd ever felt anything besides bitterness and anger. Seeing you come back, after what I had said... it made me feel many things. I felt happy that you had returned, and regret for what I had said. I felt excitement, and... much more that I can't explain. You've really helped me, Anon. If not anyone else so far." Lady said.

I blushed at her words.

"Well, I meant what I said Lady. You're the most beautiful engine I've ever seen, and you have a very pretty face. Burnett was lucky to have you." I said, looking out the shed window. "I think I'll head over to the parts shed and see what I can find there. I'm still having some trouble sleeping when it's light out. Even though it's technically night back in my world, it's more of a psychological aspect. My body is telling me to stay awake because it's light out." I said, standing up straight.

"Can't you wait until tonight, _please_? If you go out now, and someone is nearby, you'll be killed for sure." Lady pleaded. I looked at her, her face covered in worry.

"Don't worry Lady, I think I'll be alright. Why would they kill another human? I'm not made of metal, so they'd have nothing to gain from it. And you can watch me out this window the whole time. If something should happen, I have no doubt you'll be able to hold your own. I want to get you all fixed, the sooner the better." I said. Lady sighed.

"Just... be careful. I don't know what I'd do if I... _we_ lost you." she said. I nodded, and slowly opened the large shed door, before slipping out. I shielded my eyes from the bright sunlight, and looked around. There was another shed next to Lady's, but there weren't any tracks leading into this one. Most likely, it was a storage shed, as I had been told.

I walked up to it, and opened the rusting door, causing it to groan and creak in protest at the sudden movement. There were no lights inside, but the outside light was enough for me to see. There was a large tool cart, full of engine sized equipment, and a pile of miscellaneous engine parts that took up most of the inside next to the cart. Thankfully, the large cart was on wheels, so I was able to slowly pull the heavy thing out of the parts shed, and over to Lady's.

I tugged it through the gravel, and opened the door to Lady's shed with one hand, and shoved the cart inside, closing it behind me.

"I think this will help quite a bit." I said, wheeling the cart over to Lady. She looked at the cart curiously, before looking out the window at the shed next door.

"Was that all that was inside?" she asked. I shook my head.

"No, there was also a large variety of spare parts. I'm pretty sure that any part that needs replacing on any of you, we'll have something to replace it." I said, pulling a set of work gloves off of the cart. I put them on, and looked at Lady.

"Um... I'm going to have to get a little hands on to inspect you. Is that okay?" I asked. Lady smiled gently.

"Of course. I understand what you have to do. Just... be gentle. Some parts of us are more sensitive than others. I'll be able to feel whatever you do." she said. I nodded, and climbed into her cab.

Lady had explained that the fire of a steamer here would always stay lit as long as it had fuel, but once it was out, it had to be re-lit by someone. But, since Lady was magical, she was able to light hers, and the others if needed. It was very convenient for everyone, since there were no friendly humans around until I came along. Lady's fire had not been re-lit since she came back from being stuck in the tunnel, so her firebox was still cold.

I opened the door to it, and winced.

"You're firebox is absolutely _filthy_! I'm sure it's quite clogged. That could be one of the big reasons why you run so rough." I said, pulling out several large chunks of burned debris and other waste. I tossed all of the clog out of Lady's cab onto the ground next to her, and repeated the process for a good twenty minutes. Lady's firebox wasn't large, because she was a small engine, but as dirty as it was, it would take time to clean it fully.

Once I did everything I could by hand, I grabbed a firebox brush from the cart, and began to brush off the sides, top, and bottom of the firebox. However, the second the brush made contact with Lady's firebox shell, something unexpected happened.

Lady began to laugh. Quite hard.

"Ooh! Oh! A-Anon! Pfft... hehehaHA! S-_Stop_! Snrk!_ I-I'm ticklish_! S-Sto-_HAHAHAP_!" she begged, trying to contain her laughter. I stopped for a moment, smiling at the sound of her laugh. I realized I had never heard Lady laugh sincerely before, and it was a wonderful sound.

"Ticklish, are you? Hmm..." I said, getting a mischievous grin on my face. Lady's face turned to one of minor fright.

"No. _No_! Don't heHAheee_HAHAHA_!" Lady was cut of as I began to brush her firebox again. Her entire body shuddered and rattled at her convulsions, and I just smiled all the more. I had finally found a weakness in Lady. A harmless one, but still. I brushed one side of her firebox clean, and then stopped so she could catch a breath.

"Oh... oh please... don't do that any more!" Lady pleaded, breathing heavily. I stepped out, and looked at her. Her face was tinted a very light red, and she had a few tears running down her face. But she was smiling a genuine smile, and that made me smile.

"Leave it to the toughest engine on Sodor to be the big baby about getting her firebox cleaned." I teased. Lady growled quietly as she pouted.

"It's not my fault! Maybe you're just _doing_ it wrong!" she huffed, finally calming down. I pointed towards the brush in my hand, black with soot.

"I doubt it. This brush was clean when I started. I've done one side of your firebox, and look at it now." I said. Lady's eyes widened when she saw how dirty the brush actually was.

"Is it really that bad?" she asked. I nodded.

"I think once your firebox is clean, you'll immediately feel less stuffy, as it were. But, I'm sure there's more to do besides that. I can work on something else, if you want, and give you a break, but your firebox needs to be finished." I said. Lady bit her lip.

"Oh... _fine_. Just do it now, and get it over with. I'm going to be exhausted by the time your finished." she said. I smiled, and climbed back into her cab, to finish her cleaning torture.

. . .

Roughly two hours later, Lady's firebox was spotless, and she was worn out. I had given her breaks between sides, but she simply couldn't stop laughing while I brushed her firebox. I had actually gotten worried that one of the other engines might hear, and wonder what was going on, but none of them ever showed up.

I had shoved all of the burned soot and debris into a pile, and was now focusing on greasing Lady's bearings.

"So, I've never heard you laugh like that before." I said as I lubricated her wheel rods.

"Well I've never been one to willingly be tickled to death. It's exhausting, no matter how amusing it may be to others." she said, smiling a little. I chuckled.

"Well I like your laugh. A laugh can really help people like you. Maybe you should try and loosen up a little around the other engines. Show them that you still have a happy side." I suggested. Lady's smile faded, and she sighed.

"No, I should maintain my composure around them. I need them to know that I take this situation seriously, and am a good leader. If I... as you say, 'show them my happy side', they might not take me seriously, and something bad might happen." she said. I shrugged.

"I don't really think it would change all that much, save for making them all a little happier. No offense Lady, but I get the vibe that they're all quite nervous around you. The way you bit my head off when I first got here doesn't help that situation. You seem to snap at anyone who dares to disagree with you." I said, sitting on a sandbag in front of Lady. She looked slightly hurt at my words. I softened my gaze, and put a hand to her.

"There's nothing _wrong_ with a kind leader, Lady. Be tough when you need to be, but be kind when you can. It helps the morale of everyone. Start small, maybe. Smile when you see others, or greet them by name. It will show." I said.

"You really think so?" Lady asked. I nodded.

"I do." Lady sighed.

"I don't know if I can even smile properly anymore. I haven't done it in years." she said. I laughed.

"You've smiled around me plenty! I should know, because I've filed every memory I have of it away! You're very beautiful when you smile Lady." I said. Lady blushed.

"Have I? I don't remember smiling..." she said, looking down at the ground. I stood, and put my work gloves back on.

"Just try and loosen up, that's all I'm saying. I'm going to grease and lubricate your axles and rods now. Tell me if I'm doing anything wrong." I said, picking up the grease gun from the cart. As I worked, Lady never said a word. I crawled underneath her, making sure her axles and other moving parts were properly lubricated. The entire process took a good while, but I wanted to be thorough.

By the time I had finished, Lady had fallen asleep. It was her normal time for sleeping, after all. I checked that task off my mental list. Her firebox had been cleaned, and her joints had been lubricated. Now, all that was left was to inspect her undercarriage for any possible damage, and change her brakes.

I put on a pair of goggles, just in case, and lay on the ground, before sliding yourself underneath Lady. I didn't see any severe damage, actually. Her chassis was in fairly good shape, and her welds looked pretty strong. Her axles looked strong, and her valves were clear. I didn't see anything wrong, so I pulled myself out from underneath her, and sat up. Now to change her brakes.

Lady had complained of it taking her a good while to stop, which naturally meant her brakes were worn, and needed to be replaced. Thankfully, there was a pile of replacements in the next door shed, and I knew how to change them. Especially since Lady was a smaller engine, it would be fairly simple.

I loosened her old brakes, and removed them, before walking back over to the parts shed, one of her old brakes in hand, so I could match it with a new set. I looked around for a little while, carefully going through the piles of new parts, before I thought I had a good amount of brakes that looked to be similar, if not the same.

With a few trips, I brought them back over to Lady's shed, and began fixing them onto Lady's brake system. She slept quietly, and I worked slowly and quietly, as to not disturb her, or worse, wake her again. I didn't know if I could handle being thrown against the wall again. It hurt like hell the first time, and that was enough for me.

Although, Lady seemed quite concerned for my well being after she realized what she had done. Perhaps she cared about me more than she was letting on? Eh, probably not.

. . .

It had taken the rest of the daylight hours, but I had finally fixed Lady as well as I was able to. Her firebox was clean, her parts were greased and oiled, she had new brakes, and I had even given her a polish. She was just beginning to wake up as I finished.

"Anon... have you been up all day?" she asked, watching me throw a dirty rag into the pile of junk. I shrugged.

"I'm still getting used to your twisted schedule here. I'll get used to it eventually. In the mean time, why don't you light your fire? It will be time to meet with the others soon." I said, slowly opening the shed door. Lady sparked her insides, and a fire roared to life with the new coal I had shoveled into her firebox. She sat as her steam built up while I hopped into her cab.

Eventually, she chuffed forwards, slowly, and appeared to immediately noticed a difference. Suddenly, she jerked forwards, and then quickly stopped.

"What was that?!" she asked in surprise.

"What?" I asked, hoping I hadn't made an error in repairing her.

"I... I can move with barely any effort. It used to take me quite a bit of effort to move, but now..." she trailed off as she put the pieces together. "Anon... you were up all day, on what should have been your first sleep on Sodor... _fixing_ me?" she asked quietly. I smiled, but she didn't see it.

"Why don't you head on over to the station. I'll fill you and the others in then." I suggested. Lady wanted to ask me more questions, but decided to wait, as she chuffed out of her shed completely. I noticed a difference in the smoothness of her ride overall. Her smoke was white as a cloud, billowing out of Lady's funnel in a steady stream. Her squeaks, rattles, and clanks were gone, and she was stable on the tracks.

She was the first one at the station, and once she stopped, she began bombarding me with statements and questions.

"What did you do?! I can puff properly, and I don't squeak! I can even stop better!" she exclaimed. I smiled at her.

"You, my Lady, are now one hundred percent fixed! Well, probably not one hundred percent, but a lot better than you were. I cleaned your firebox, oiled your rods and axles, changed your brakes, and even gave you a polish so you could look your best. You can move better now than you most likely have in years!" I said, smiling at her.

Lady's lip quivered a little, and she looked at me deeply.

"You have changed my life so much, only being here a few days." she sighed. "I was a fool to push you away." she said. I put a hand to her side, and smiled at her.

"It's alright Lady. As I said, you had good reason. But now, I hope you really do trust me." I said. Lady looked at me, and without hesitation, replied.

"I do."


	7. Chapter 7

Not long after Lady and I arrived, the others began to steadily show up. Rosie and Toby chuffed in first, and I realized that this was the first time I had actually seen the other engines move. Both Rosie's and Toby's smoke was black, signaling that most likely, their firebox's would need cleaning just as Lady's had. And Rosie did have a slight wobble to her when she moved. Damaged axle, most likely.

"Hi Anon!" Rosie chirped as she stopped on the parallel track to Lady's. I smiled.

"Hello Rosie, Toby." I greeted. I glanced at Lady, and gave her a subtle nod. She gave a nervous smile, and looked at the two engines.

"H-Hello, Rosie. Toby." she said. I almost laughed as both engines looked quite surprised at Lady's greeting, and more than that, her smile.

"Hi... Lady?" Rosie said, slowly recovering from her initial surprise. I chuckled to myself, earning a small pout from Lady. I patted her side, and watched as Belle pushed Hiro into the station. I frowned a little.

"Does Hiro not run?" I asked Lady quietly.

"He does not. He hasn't in years. We don't know what's wrong with him, but I'm sure you'll be able to fix him." she replied, maintaining her smile as the others slowly rolled to a stop, keeping an eye on Lady and her newfound smile.

"Uh... Hi?" Belle offered as she found her regular spot on the tracks.

"Hello Belle. Hello Hiro." Lady said, seeming to loosen up ever so slightly. The two recent engines were quiet, and I realized that everyone was feeling a little awkward with Lady's attempt to be friendly and approachable, so I clapped my hands together, and walked forward.

"Well, now that we're all here, I've got some news to tell you! I worked most of the day today on Lady, and I'm happy to say that she's fixed! She can chuff smoothly, burn coal efficiently, and stop faster. She is free of squeaks, rattles, or clangs, and is quite happy with my work. So, I take that as a green light to go ahead and try to fix whoever wants to be next. My skills are Lady approved guys, that surely means something!" I said, offering a cheeky grin to Lady, who blushed, and looked down at the tracks she was sitting on. She seemed to find the fact that her opinion meant so much to the others somewhat discomforting.

"Anyway, I'm open to fix another engine, if anyone wants to be fixed!" I said, waiting for someone to pipe up. All eyes turned to Hiro, who smiled a small smile.

"If... if everyone wants to me go first... then I'd be most thankful. I'd like to be able to move under my own power again." he said. I nodded.

"I'll do my best, Hiro. I can't make any guarantees, but I'll do my best. When daylight comes, I'll accompany you to your shed, and we can see what's got you down." I said. Hiro looked happy. I turned back to Lady. "Now, I have one question that I think only one of us can answer. Lady?" I asked. She looked back to me. "The way I got here, the portal, or whatever it's called. Is it supposed to be in such a... dreary state? Cold, damp, dark, and littered with what looks like untrimmed tree roots, or branches? It doesn't seem to fit you." I asked. Lady's eyes opened slightly wider at my description of the portal's state.

"No. No, it's not _supposed_ to be like that. It gets like that, when I don't go through it for a long time. I have neglected it for years, because it brings me nothing but painful memories. But... for the sake of the Island, if it is as you say, I will have to make a trip through it. The sooner the better." she said. I thought.

"Why not now? If it's so important, I'd do it while you can, especially now that I've fixed you up, there's no chance of you breaking down." I said. Lady thought over my words, before sighing.

"You are right. I will go and do it now." she said, starting to reverse out of the station.

"_Wait_! I want to come with!" I called, making her stop on her tracks.

"I'd really rather you didn't, Anon. I don't want to risk losing you, and it is dangerous out there, even at night. You'd be much safer here." she said quietly. She looked genuinely worried. But I wanted to accompany her, and maybe get to bond with her a little more. The other engines were nice and all, but there was just something about Lady. Something that made me never want to leave her side.

"I'll be alright Lady. I was able to rescue you, wasn't I? And besides, you'll be there with me. I have no doubt that you'll protect me if something should happen." I said. Lady sighed, and looked defeated.

"There's no way I can convince you to stay, is there?" she asked. I grinned, and shook my head.

"Nope. I want to be with you. I feel my safest when I'm at your side." I said. Her eyes widened slightly at my words, but she said nothing. She waited for me to climb into her cab, and then silently reversed out of the station, before turning around, and heading forwards towards the magic buffers.

Lady smoothly chuffed through the darkness, going at a steady pace, just in case something should be amiss. With no headlamps, traveling at night was a bit more challenging.

"So, what does this portal have to do with keeping this world together? I don't understand fully what you mean when you say it keeps it together." I asked. Lady thought as to how to best describe it. Then, she spoke.

"Well, think of it this way. A puppet needs strings to be supported, right? The portal is kind of like the strings supporting the Island of Sodor, except there's a bunch of magic involved. I'm really not sure on the specifics, but I know that it's my job to keep the portal in good shape, because this Island depends on it. I've done poorly at my job recently, letting my feelings get in the way of my duty. That was _very_ foolish of me." she said, continuing to chuff through the dense fog.

After a while more, I could scarcely make out the buffers through the fog.

"We are approaching. Would you like to stop, so you can prepare yourself?" Lady asked.

"No, I'll be alright. Go on." I said, grabbing hold of something inside Lady's cab. I had never made the transition through the portal with an engine before. It would probably be different than going through with my truck.

Lady increased her speed, and flew through the portal. The momentary transition was indeed different. I felt my feet lift off the floor of Lady's cab, and suddenly hit it again, nearly causing me to fall out of her cab all together. I flailed my arms, and managed to regain my balance.

"_Whoa_! Okay, that was different! A lot different!" I said, steadying myself. Lady smiled.

"The first time for a human with an engine is always difficult. Of course, not many humans come through the portal, especially not with an engine. For me to allow a human to come through the portal, especially with me, they have to be something special." she said. I chuckled, and patted her side.

"Aww... I'm glad I'm special enough to come along with such a special engine." I said. Lady rolled her eyes, and increased her speed. Within moments, my eyes sparkled in the reflection of what appeared to be magical sparks flying from her whirring wheels. As Lady went along, the eerie glow and the abomination of tree roots began to fade, and be replaced by a bright blue sky, and green flowing fields as far as the eye could see.

In a word, beautiful.

"So this is what it really looks like..." I mused.

"Yes, the portal is a beautiful thing, when I have a run through it regularly. I will have to go all the way through the other side, to your world, to complete the cycle. Are you ready, the exit is coming!" Lady said. I stanced myself, and nodded.

"Ready!"

Lady broke through the other side, and in an instant, we were in bright daylight. She slammed on her brakes, and slid to a stop, just before the end of the track on Muffle Mountain. As her steam cleared, I looked around.

My world. My home.

Nothing had changed, at least as far as I could tell. I stepped out of Lady's cab, and propped myself against her side, before letting out a sigh. I looked up at her, and she looked as if she was feeling a little guilty about something.

"What's wrong?" I asked. Lady looked down at me, and sighed.

"I have kept you from your world, home, and everything you know. I expected you, right from the start, to stay and help us, because I believed it was your duty. I never once really thought about your feelings, or what you could be missing here. How can I possibly expect you to want to return with me to our dark, battle ridden Island, when you have such a beautiful world here to live in? I had forgotten how beautiful it truly was." she asked, more to herself than to me. I looked around, and realized she did have a point.

My world was... well, _normal_. People going about their lives, normal changing weather, and no fear currently of war or death. Not any more than normal, anyway. But back on the Island of Sodor, the fear was everywhere, for the engines at least. No one could go out during the day, and they were always fearing for their lives.

But that just made me want to help them even more. Maybe with my help, their world could be like mine again. Happy, clean, and bright. I patted Lady, and met her eyes with my own.

"While my world may be nicer, that doesn't mean I want to go back, at least not right now. I'll be honest Lady, I've never really been one to travel, so I've never really seen the state of any other countries besides my own, and seeing the state of the Island of Sodor... it really opened my eyes. I know there's other countries in my world that don't have it as well as we do here... and I can't really do much alone to help change that. But I can help change Sodor. I want to make Sodor like it is here, free of fear and war, and put it back to the bright and sunny Island it used to be. Where everyone has a job, and is happy." I said.

Lady had tears in her eyes. She looked at me gratefully, and whimpered.

"You are... you are the right man for the job, Anon. You have a huge heart, and... and..." Lady didn't even finish her sentence. She closed her eyes for a few minutes, probably willing her tears not to come.

"And I was wrong not to like you." she suddenly finished. I looked up at her, wondering what exactly she meant.

"Lady?" I asked.

"No, just... _listen_." she started, taking a deep breath. "I... You've grown on me, quite a bit. I know I have no right to ask you this, and you have every right to decline... but, if you fix our situation, and things slowly go back to normal... would you consider staying? Permanently?" she paused as my eyes widened a little. "I know... I shouldn't even be asking something like this of you, but I... I find the thought of Sodor without you an unpleasant one. I consider you a very dear friend, Anon. I have ever since... well, for a while. I'm not close with many, and you really helped me see how I can change that. I'll never forget all the ways you've helped me." Lady whispered.

I bowed my head in thought. I had no idea I meant this much to Lady. Granted, I liked her a lot, despite her quirks, or the fact that she was an engine. But... a new home, in a new world? That would certainly take some thought.

"I... I don't know Lady. I'll definitely think about it. That's all I can really say right now. I'm glad you told me how much I mean to you, though. I had no idea." I whispered. Lady gently leaned against me, in a manner of speaking, and sighed.

"You do, Anon. You really _do_."

The two of us sat there in silence for a few minutes, before I suddenly realized something.

"Hang on a minute. If the portal gets a recharge, per se, every time you go through it, how come it didn't when you went through it in hopes of catching me while back? It was you, wasn't it? The engine I saw that night on the mountain? That was you?" I asked. Lady nodded.

"It was. But the portal only responds to pure magic. Not pure in the manner of being one hundred percent magic, but pure in the manner of good intention. If the magic it receives is... unpure, or has any intent of harm, it won't respond to it. It didn't work because when I went through it to find you..." Lady looked glum. "A small part of me was seriously thinking about killing you. Just so I wouldn't have to deal with you." she whispered. I put a hand to her side.

"Why?" I gently asked. Lady shuddered.

"I... I really can't say. I am a sick and twisted engine, and my... my mind is warped in ways you can't possibly understand. I guess the fact that I wasn't in control of you, or the fact that you were the supposed prophesied one, but acted like... well, foolish at first, really bugged me. I really don't know. I don't want to be a killer Anon. I'm not like that! P-Please, _believe me_! I don't _want_ to hurt anyone _ever_ again!" Lady said, beginning to cry. I stood and leaned my cheek to hers, massaging the side of her smoke box.

"I know Lady, I know. Shhhh..." I said, embracing the purple engine as best I could. Her quiet whimpers pained my heart. I finally pulled away, much to Lady's hidden displeasure, and looked at her firmly.

"Lady, repeat after me. I will not harm anyone unless it is absolutely required."

"I... won't harm anyone unless it's required." she repeated slowly.

"I am not a bad engine, or one unworthy of friendship and love." I continued.

"I am not a bad engine, unworthy of friendship or... or love." she said softly.

"I won't let the past continue to burden me. Right now, I am going to have a new start."

"I won't let the past burden me. Right now, I'm going to have a new start." she finished. I nodded.

"Do you trust me, Lady?" I asked. Lady nodded.

"I do."

"Then believe me, I will be here for you Lady. I'll support you, no matter what. If there's something on your mind, I'll always listen. If you need to cry, cry. I won't judge you. Let your emotions out around me, and I'll help you through any situation. Will you do that for me?" I asked. Lady's lip quivered a little.

"Y-Yes." she whispered. I nodded, and held my arms open.

"Good, now come here." I said. Lady slowly chuffed towards me, and closed her eyes when your arms met her body. In the warm cloud of steam she released, the two of us felt closer than ever, and bonded together. Lady's breathing slowed, and I leaned my head against her smokebox, a calming tranquility coming over the both of us. The warm overhead sun shone down on us, and warmed us both. Finally, I released her, and Lady looked at complete peace. For the first time in a long while.

"Anon?" she asked. I looked at her. "Would you... enter my cab, please?" she asked, sounding slightly nervous. I nodded, and walked to her cab entrance. However, the moment I put a hand to her, what felt like a jolt of electricity shot through my arm, and throughout my body. An immense pain ripped through my head, and I clutched in it pain.

"_AARRRGGH_!" I shouted in pain, before stumbling backwards. I fell onto my butt, and suddenly, just when I thought I was going to pass out, the pain subsided completely. I felt normal, as if nothing happened.

"What the shit was _that_?!" I asked, looking around quickly.

"It was the newly formed bond. I apologize, but it is always painful for a brief moment." Lady said, happy to see my pain had gone. I looked at her, and slowly stood.

"Bond? Pain? What are you talking about?" I asked. Lady smiled warmly.

"Tell me, do you feel any different?" she asked. I stood, and became aware of something. My insides felt... warm? Something was different, but I honestly couldn't place it.

"What is it?" I asked.

"I've chosen you Anon. You are the sweetest, friendliest man I've ever met. Even more so than Burnett. I would have no one else." she said. I scratched my head, and noticed something on my palm. A circular shape, a dark purple in color. It almost resembled one of Lady's wheels. I gently touched it with my right hand, and winced as an ice cold sensation was felt.

"Lady... when you say you've _chosen_ me... do you mean..."

"You're my Rider now, Anon. And I'm your engine. You and I are bonded by friendship, magic, and care. Your problems are my problems, and your emotions are my emotions. I will protect you with my life, as you are the most important thing in my life. Honestly... you were even before the bond." she said, blushing slightly. I stared at Lady in amazement. She had explained the concept of the Rider to me a while back, and now... she had chosen me?

"W-Why _me_? Why not someone from Sodor? You barely know me." I asked, staring at my palm.

"I know enough, Anon. I just know. It's as simple as that." Lady said, smiling kindly. I stared back at her, and embraced her again.

"I'll do anything I can to keep you alive and happy. I will honor the duty as your Rider as best I can." I said. Lady smiled.

"Good. I hope we can make this work. But, for now, we should be getting back. The others will be wondering where we are." she said. I mindlessly climbed into her cab, still looking at my palm. Lady reversed through the portal, and began to go down the magic railroad. Reality finally caught up with me, and it hit me _hard_.

Lady and I were _linked_. She was my responsibility now, and I was hers. The two of us would be closer than anyone, or anything. And I didn't mind one bit. I was actually quite happy, but I wasn't sure why. I'd never really been one for big responsibility, but that changed now. I'd die for Lady in a heartbeat. She was much more important than me for sure.

Lady slowed in the middle of the magic railroad for a moment. I stuck my head out of her window, in case something was wrong.

"What's up?" I asked. Lady sighed.

"I love being here. A link between realities, where everything is always peaceful. Nothing can hurt anyone here, and it's a good place to relax. I remember sometimes I would come here when I was stressed, or just needed to think. It would always cheer me up, or relieve any burden I had. It's my happy place, and I only share it in this manner with those dear to me. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do, Anon." she said. I looked around at the grassy green fields, and the bright blue sky. I could definitely see the appeal of this place. It did have a calming atmosphere to it.

"It's a wonderful place, isn't it?" I observed.

After basking in the peace for a few minutes, Lady completed the trip to the side called Sodor, and the re-energizing cycle was complete.

. . .

Daylight was fast approaching by the time Lady and I arrived back at the station,and it was determined that I would attempt to fix Hiro. I had slept for a little while after we had gotten back. Lady had let me sleep in her cab, the warmth from her fire a nice way to nod off. She was gentle in her movements, as not to wake me, and it almost felt like a mother protecting her young while they slept.

Belle pushed Hiro back to his shed, and I followed with the tool cart. Lady seemed rather reluctant to sleep alone, without me, but she complied, knowing that I needed to fix the others. Once Hiro's shed was closed off, I began to inspect him. He was silent for a while, but finally spoke.

"You know, there's a piece of the prophecy I doubt Lady told you. It is written that the one who will help us will form a special bond with the Guardian of the Railway. It is said that after some time, and an adventure or two, they will become very close, and after one significant event, they will realize exactly how much they mean to each other, and fall in love." he said. I dropped the wrench I had been holding, and it nearly hit my foot. I stared at Hiro in shock.

"So... you're saying then, that it's written basically that Lady and I will fall in _love_?" I asked. Hiro smiled.

"It is written, yes. You and Lady have gotten quite close, hmm? I can see it on her face, as well as yours. Keep in mind, we've all known her for years, and we've never seen her smile the way she does when she's with you. I think you mean the world to her. And I can tell she means similar to you. The way you never really seem to want to leave her side?" he said. I chuckled nervously.

"Uh-huh. Sure thing Hiro. I don't leave her side because she can keep me safe. Not everything written always comes true. I mean, Lady and I have become good friends, yes, but I _strongly_ doubt we'll ever be anything more. I mean, why would she fall in love with _me_? I'm a human man, and she's an engine. She tried to kill me practically on sight, and holds a good hatred for my kind, although I'm trying to change that. I really don't think anything is going to happen. Although... something did happen when we were out." I said, inspecting Hiro's wheel rods. Hiro smiled, as if he already knew what it was, and stayed quiet as I finished my inspection.

. . .

After a good few hours, I sighed, and dropped my work gloves.

"I'm sorry Hiro. I don't have the foggiest idea why you can't move. There's nothing wrong, besides normal lack of maintenance that I can find, and that wouldn't cause you to be immobile like this. Odds are it's something inside your boiler that would take a good deal of disassembly to get to. I'm not prepared for something like that." I said. To my surprise, Hiro smiled.

"Thank you for trying. It means a lot to me that you care enough to look. I have faith that I will move again someday, and for now, having friends who help me get around it enough." he said. I nodded, and began to clean up the mess.

By the time I had finished, the shed doors slowly opened, and Belle appeared.

"So, how'd it go?" she asked, looking hopeful. I shook my head, and her smile faded.

"Oh. I'm sorry Hiro." she whispered. Hiro smiled, and told her the same thing he'd told me. That perked Belle up, and she pulled him to the station, me walking on my own. Once I found a platform, I waited for Lady to arrive. After a while, she did, and she looked beyond thrilled to see me again.

"_Anon_! My shed was lonely without you." she whispered after calling my name in glee. I scratched my head.

"Haven't you slept alone for years?" I asked. Lady scoffed.

"Well, yeah, but once you get used to having company... it's hard to go without it again." she said bashfully. I nodded in understanding. One all of the engine's arrived, I stood, ready to speak an idea I'd had recently. One that I _knew_ Lady wouldn't like.

"You say that this war has been going on for years now, correct?" I asked. Lady and the others nodded. "When was the last time any of you saw a human, besides me? Actually _saw_ one?" I asked. Lady thought back.

"I saw one about four years ago. He chased me for a good while, but I eventually lost him. I haven't seen one since. It was then we found this station, and made it a meeting place. It's a good spot, since we haven't been found." she said. I nodded.

"Is it a good spot, or have they just stopped looking?" I asked, bringing confusion to the engine's faces. I continued.

"This Island is quite small, so I'm told. If it's really that small, don't you think they would have found you by now?" I asked. Lady looked to be deep in thought, while the others looked unsure.

"I'm getting the feeling you're about to say something I won't like, Anon." Lady said after a moment. I sighed.

"Most likely. I believe, since we haven't seen, heard, or even smelled any sign of human activity, that the enemy may be gone. Perhaps they went back home, or maybe something happened to them. Either way, I'd like to go to the other side of the Island, and..."

"_NO_!" Lady shouted, staring at me in shock. I jumped at her outburst, and then looked at her. She chuffed forwards. "You are not permitted to go to the other side of the Island! I won't let you! You'll be killed for sure! Especially with Diesel 10 still around! If the humans don't find you, he will!" she said.

"_What_?! Diesel 10 is still here?!" Toby asked in shock. Lady looked worried. She had let the secret slip. I raised a hand, regaining the engine's attention.

"That's another thing. We also haven't seen sight nor sound of him. Diesel's are loud. Surely if he was anywhere within a radius of us, we'd hear him. I don't think he's looking for you either. I want to go to the other side, and find out what's really going on." I said. Lady bit her lip.

"You _can't_ Anon! I will not let you be killed because you want to find out the truth. There must be another way to investigate! As your engine, it is my job to protect you!" she snapped. All the other engines looked between myself and Lady as they realized.

"Are you two bonded?" Belle asked. Lady nodded slowly.

"Ooh, Congratulations!" Rosie said.

"As your Rider, it is my job to protect you, Lady. I'm going to find out if I'm protecting you from things that no longer exist. Think about it. If you're wrong, and the threat is gone, we can rebuild! Things can slowly go back to the way they were! Don't you want that!?" I asked. Lady was silent, a frown on her face.

"It's not worth the risk Anon. If _you're_ wrong, we'll lose you. I won't let that happen." she said firmly. Suddenly, I was tugged from the platform as Lady began to reverse out of the station, dragging me along with her magic.

"What are you doing?!" I asked, flailing in the air. Lady chuffed to her shed, and levitated me inside.

"I'm protecting you, Anon. I know you want to help, but that is not the way. There must be a safer option. I will sit here, and make sure you don't leave if I must." Lady said, sitting on the tracks in front of the shed door. My shoulder slumped as I realized Lady would do just that, but suddenly, I had another thought.

If I could stay awake, certainly I could get past her. Lady was used to sleeping during the day, which would be approaching soon. But I was still having trouble adjusting to the schedule, meaning most likely, I would be awake after she feel asleep. I looked back at Lady, who was looking at me with a fierce gaze.

I walked over to one of the shed walls, and sat on the ground, leaning against it. Lady seemed to let her guard down a little, and quietly chuffed over to me.

"Please don't hate me. I'm just doing this to _protect_ you. It's a dangerous world out there." she whispered, looking down at me. I let out a sigh, and looked down at the ground. Perhaps acting as if I was angry with her could coax her to change her mind? It was worth a shot. In retrospect, I understood why she wanted to protect me, but I didn't have to agree with it. Lady went quiet at my lack of a verbal response. The two of us sat there for at least an hour in utter silence.

I was busy day dreaming when I suddenly noticed Lady's breathing had gotten much quieter. I snuck a glance up at her, and saw that her eyes were closed. The sun was just beginning to peak through the shed window, so Lady was probably asleep for the day. But I didn't want to risk it. I didn't move for another half an hour, and neither did Lady.

Once I was sure she was asleep, I quietly got to my feet, and stretched. I was stiff as a board, and my rear was sore from sitting on a hard surface for so long. I walked over to Lady, and stuffed my hands into my pockets.

"I'm doing this for you, my Lady." I whispered, before quietly walking to the shed door. I quietly opened it, snuck out, and closed it behind me.

It was time to see what was _really_ going on on this Island.


	8. Chapter 8

I walked down the line to my faithful truck. I smiled to myself as I looked at it. The one familiar thing in this world. And it was going to help me yet again. I'd be taking it to the other side of the Island. I knew the other engines wouldn't help me, for they were afraid. Of both what was on the other side of the Island, and what Lady would do to them if she found out they helped me.

I shuddered at the thought of facing Lady. I had just become her Rider, and I was _immediately_ going against her wishes. She would be quite upset, if not more. But it was necessary. I was convinced that whatever may have been going on some years ago had stopped. If that was true, Sodor could blossom forth, and Lady could have her home back. Her _real_ one.

I got in, and started the trucks engine, hoping it wouldn't wake Lady. Once I was sure I was in the clear, I drove it over to the nearest road, and chose a direction. I still had the magic letter, and the Conductors whistle with me, because who knows what I might end up needing?

The roads were bare, and the signs were worn, or knocked down. I had no real idea of the road layout of the Island, but I hoped I could find something before I ran out of fuel. I still had plenty, but the worry was always there.

Eventually, the road led into a small abandoned town, and the sight of it _really_ hit me hard.

It looked like a ghost town from a movie or something. Faded buildings, broken windows, trash and litter everywhere, some buildings collapsed, or about to. It was awful. Clearly, all of the people had left in a hurry.

The trucks tires crunched along the road over branches, twigs, and other junk. The concrete road itself was in no better shape. Cracks, potholes, and even large pieces missing entirely made sure I paid attention to where I was driving.

After a while, the town thinned back out, and I found myself on a dirt country road, generally heading in the right direction. My truck bumped along for a good while as the tall, unkempt grass in the fields around me rippled in the breeze. It was amazing, really. In certain areas, I'd never guess that the Island was nearly abandoned, or that a battle had taken place. In others, as the town for example, it was quite obvious.

I came across a farm next to the mainline tracks at one point, the building rotting and decaying. The mud pits and fencing destroyed, and a platform next to the tracks damaged, as if an engine had run into it. A lone flag, torn and battered, flopped lazily around in the wind from a rusted flagpole. It was so faded, I couldn't begin to guess what had been on it.

I kept going, and soon found myself at a fork in the road, the wooden sign unreadable. I decided to go right, and soon found the road becoming dusty, and broken up. I crawled over a small pile of rocks that had blocked a bit of the road, and saw the entrance to what looked like a quarry or a mine. The large overhead sign was still readable on this one. The faded white letters shone in the sunlight, once clean, and proudly showing the words "The FFARQUHAR QUARRY"

I decided to drive into the quarry to have a look around, and that...

That is where I saw the first terrible sight. The first _real_ sign that there actually had been a battle of a sort taking place.

I saw something a good distance away, sitting in the stone rubble. I stopped the truck, and got out for a closer look. As I neared, my steps slowed as I realized what it was.

An engine.

Or, what was _left_ of one.

Sitting away from the tracks, in a pile of gravel, stone, and other debris, was a black locomotive. It was boxy, with a cab at the back, then a seemingly square engine bay to the front. It looked as if it once had side plating, but the plating had been ripped away, revealing a total of six damaged wheels, three on each side. The wheels were bent, some dented or destroyed completely. A snapped drive rod lay next to them, rusting into the ground. A faded black and yellow striped pattern outlined the engine's face.

Or, where the face _should_ have been...

This engine's face was gone, instead, a large square hole in its place. I suppressed the urge to vomit, and looked inside. _Hollow_.

Hollow as an empty pipe. The gentle breeze was making an audible howling sound as it traveled through the hollow engine, and rust was slowly eating its way through the engine, inside and out, and I couldn't believe the sight. What appeared to be bullet holes riddled the side of the engine bay, and they had rust trails going down from them. So, they were armed, and had used this... poor engine's corpse for target practice. Or, had they been trying to injure the engine? But it didn't matter to me.

They had actually destroyed engines here. For whatever their reasons, metal for money, or just for pure enjoyment, I didn't know, but the thought infuriated me! I stepped to the other side of the metal body, and saw a scratched, but readable word painted on the side.

"MAVIS"

I balled my hands into fists, literally almost shaking in anger. _Mavis_. The name alone gave the metal corpse so much more meaning. This had been a living, working engine. One built with care, and one with a name. Assuming it was a female, she probably had worked at the quarry. I saw through the hole in the body's side that the diesel engine was gone, taken for metal, most likely. I hesitated, and then put a hand to the cold lifeless metal.

When it touched the frame, a chill went up my spine.

"I'm going to find those responsible for doing this to you..." I whispered, before removing my hand. I looked inside the cab of the engine, and soon wished I hadn't. For inside the cab, was a photo hanging on the window. A photo of the same engine, with someone standing next to her. But I wasn't looking at the person. I saw from the photo that the black diesel had been a very kind and sensible looking engine, and was indeed female. A kind, pointed lip smile, and a happy overall expression.

She didn't look like an engine that deserved this fate.

I stormed back to my truck, more determined than ever to find the people who had done this. I hadn't been sure of a war or battle before this, but now.

Now I knew everything Lady had said was true... and I _did_ have a reason to be afraid.

I also realized then that I had asked Lady to trust me, yet... I hadn't trusted her enough to believe her when she said there was a war.

How hypocritical I had been...

. . .

I continued driving down various roads for a good while, but still saw no sign of life anywhere. It had been at least four hours, _surely_ I had covered a good part of the Island by this point. Suddenly, I felt a prodding in my mind. I pulled the truck over to the side of the road as a voice suddenly screamed in my head.

_"ANON!? WHERE ARE YOU!?"_ it yelled. I winced at the sheer volume of the voice, and was confused. I hadn't thought those words. I closed my eyes, and decided to see if I could speak back.

_"What is this? Who are you?"_ I thought. Suddenly, I felt a great sense of relief was over me, but it wasn't coming from me. It felt as if it was coming from my heart, or something.

_"It's Lady, Anon! The Rider bond lets us communicate through thought! NOW WHERE THE DEVIL ARE YOU?!"_ the voice screamed. Now I was nervous. Lady was clearly awake, had figured out where I had gone, and had means of talking with me.

This was just great.

_"I'm in my truck. You know what I'm doing."_ I thought. I winced as pain ripped through my head at Lady's screaming.

_"I TOLD YOU TO STAY HERE! HOW DARE YOU DEFY ME! COME BACK THIS INSTANT! YOU'RE NOT SAFE OUT THERE!"_ she hollered. I groaned at my headache, which subsided once Lady stopped yelling.

_"Would you stop yelling!? You're going to make my head explode!"_ I shouted.

Silence. For a moment.

_"Anon, please. I know you want to find out what's going on, I understand that. I really do. But you're in a heap of danger being out there on your own, especially since you don't know the layout of the Island. Stay where you are, and wait until I find you."_ Lady said in a somewhat more calmed thought.

_"I'm sorry Lady. I've already learned a great deal, and now... now if those people aren't already dead, I just might kill them myself."_ I replied. More silence. Then...

_"What did you see, Anon?"_

I sighed out loud, before the images of the black diesel went through my mind. Clearly, the mind link allowed Lady to see my memories.

_"Oh Anon... you should never have gone. Besides the fact that I told you not to, you have no reason to... to see things like that..."_ Lady's thoughts seemed to be breaking up a bit. I felt a weird pain in your heart, mixed with sadness and regret.

_"Lady?"_ I thought. No answer. The mind link had apparently been severed. I was on my own again.

"God." I muttered, wiping my forehead. I hadn't realized I had been sweating. I took a moment to catch my breath, before putting the track back in gear, and continuing on my way.

. . .

I had looked for quite a while more, occasionally finding something, but nothing seemingly important.

Suddenly, I saw a series of buildings in the distance. Something about them looked... _different_. They weren't in as bad of condition as all of the others I had seen. I looked really hard, and thought I could even make out the shapes of parked cars, and machinery. It didn't look like a natural piece of the Island, or a normal town.

I began to head over in that general direction at once, hoping to find some answers sooner rather than later. For I had the feeling, call it a hunch, or a feeling from the bond, but I somehow knew that Lady was looking for me.

Obviously, she didn't know where I was, because _I_ didn't know where I was, but if she found me, she would obviously make me return with her, and I wanted to find answers before that. So, it was time to hustle. I found a road that led to the direction of the buildings, and quickly traveled down it.

When I arrived, I skidded my truck to a stop, in horror of what I saw before me. Several buildings organized in a pattern, with several vehicles strewn about. A good layer of dust covered the place, giving off the impression that it had been abandoned for at least a couple years, but it was better to be safe than sorry. I opened the magic letter for any tips, and it did have one. A very straight forward one.

_Get out, and learn what you seek._

It sounded like I wouldn't be in any danger, so after looking around, I stepped out of my truck. As I walked around, I shuddered at a pile of miscellaneous engine wheels, rusting into the ground. There was what appeared to be an office building, and then several large sheds, with tracks leading into them. I could only _hope_ those sheds weren't built for the purpose I feared they were.

Disassembly. The places where engines were killed, if not already by then.

I slowly made my way up to one of the sheds, and noticed the door was already open a crack. I slowly put a hand on it, and pulled it open more. The metal hinges groaned and squeaked in complaint of their sudden position change. I looked away once I saw what was inside.

Another engine, this time a dark green one. It bared a heavy resemblance to the Scottish Stirling Engine. Two EXTREMELY large drive wheels, covered partially by a body molded arch, with several smaller, but still large wheels. A dark green paint-job, with brass highlights, and a tall funnel at the front of the curved... faceless smoke-box. I stepped closer, and shuddered at the sight. What was different about this body was... there was no damage to it. The only real sign that anything was wrong was the fact that the engine's face was gone.

Most likely, they had somehow killed the engine, and not gotten to disassembly yet. So, another engine killed, but not even used for the intended purpose. Just... _killed_. Killed, for absolutely no reason at all.

I ran a hand along the extended side arch of the large drive wheel, my fingers leaving dust trails on it. A large emerald green tender sat behind the engine, still attached.

"Who were you?" I whispered. This engine had no name, and no number on its side. But it was a beautiful engine. I glanced over to a table with scattered papers on it, and read a few.

Words such as STEP ONE, CUT, SILENCE, KNIFE, SAW, PULL, EXTRACT, and DEATH were just some of the many words on what appeared to be... instructions for killing the engine in the cleanest way possible.

So... they had experimented to see what the most efficient method of killing an engine was. Perhaps that was why the black diesel at the quarry was in such awful shape. Maybe they had killed her with just pure damage, and then couldn't use much of what was left, so they left her to rot and be shot at. But this engine... must have been operated on, and killed with hopefully painless precision. At least it would have been a quick, painless death. Hopefully.

I looked around the shed in silence, before heading back outside. The amount of weight I was feeling on everything I had discovered was nearly unbearable. I felt as if I might collapse at any moment. I leaned against my truck, shuddering violently.

Then I threw up.

Once I was finished, I leaned against the trucks hood, breathing heavily. I couldn't bear to look in anymore sheds, for fear of what may be inside them. But maybe the office building? I stumbled over to the front door of the office building, and opened it with ease. Several rooms were inside the building, but I found one that looked more important than the others, and explored it. I found a desk with what appeared to be a written journal sitting on top of it, covered in a layer of dust. I decided to read it, and see if I could find out what had happened. The last entry read as follows:

_Today we made progress with the experiment. Engine 27-A showed no restraint or pain as death came. We can now get the full extent of the body used without damage, but... I am unable to be certain how much longer we will last. There are only three of us left now. All the others have died of sickness, or disease. We knew we should have brought more medicine with us for our problems, but we can't go back. The Guardian won't let us. She knows what we want, and guards the portal. We will die here, our hopes ending in death and failure. I can only help but wonder... is this a punishment for our actions?_

There was nothing else written. I closed the book silently, and dropped it onto the desk, poofing up a cloud of dust in the process. So they were all dead. Died of things they had brought from Earth, it seemed. And they had tried to get back, but... this "Guardian" wouldn't let them. That could only be Lady. So, she had prevented them from returning, and they had died because of it. Why wouldn't she want to let them return, and then prevent them from coming back?

Unless... she knew why they wanted to return, and wanted to kill them. She wanted them to die slowly, and painfully. What was that last line... a punishment for their actions? Was that what Lady saw their death as? Punishment?

I bowed my head in silence, and said prayer, before looking back at the journal.

When I got back, I was going to have to have a little talk with Lady. It seems she still had some secrets. Perhaps _this_... was what she didn't want me to find.

. . .

I silently drove out of the grounds, several thoughts going through my head. The sun was beginning to lower in the sky, and I had heard no more thoughts from Lady. I was driving on a road next to the tracks, the silent rails waiting for a train to come someday.

Suddenly, my truck sputtered, jerking me from my thoughts. I looked down, and my eyes widened. I had used more fuel than I thought. The tank was empty.

With a few more sputters, the truck shuddered along, before dying completely, leaving me stranded next to the tracks. I rested my head on the steering wheel, and sighed. What would I do now? I couldn't contact Lady, and I had no idea where I was.

I looked at the magic letter, but could hardly make sense of what it now read.

_Both people, and engines, can change. Give them a shot._

I frowned. What on Earth did that mean? Was it talking about Lady changing? Granted, she had improved quite a bit over the last few days, but she was nowhere around? So who...

Suddenly, I looked up, as a rumbling sound was heard. It sounded quite familiar. Oh.

Oh no.

It was the diesel. The one Lady was afraid of. What had she called him? Diesel 10?

Before I could even think, a large yellow dual cab diesel crawled up on the tracks next to my truck, which in itself shouldn't have been all that scary. What was scary was the fact that this diesel had a claw the size of... well, something big on its roof! The diesels face looked... interesting. Two thick eyebrows, deep eyes, and an unhappy expression. Not angry or anything, just... unhappy.

"Need help?" the diesel asked in a deep voice. I frowned. Why would an evil diesel ask if I wanted help, unless he was baiting me? I slowly, SLOWLY opened the door of the truck, gauging that I was out of range of his claw, even with it extended. I stepped out, and looked at the diesel as a whole. It was a large British diesel, painted an interesting brownish yellow. Almost... a mix of piss and vomit together. He looked at me, a his expression tired.

"Uhh..." I stumbled over myself. The diesel sighed.

"If you've been with the others, I'm sure they've told you to stay away from me. I can't really blame them. I was just as bad as those humans." he said quietly, a look of sadness on his face. I blinked. I wasn't expecting him to know of the other engines.

"You... know there are other engines?" I asked. The diesel nodded.

"Of course. I even know they all stay at Knapford. I'm not stupid. They're the only other sign of life on this Island, it'd be hard to not notice them, even if they're trying to hide from me." he said. I was getting the vibe that something about this engine didn't add up.

"You're... Diesel 10?" I verified. The diesel smiled a little.

"Not my real name, but sure. That's what they all called me. Ten is just my diesel number. My name is Aaron. Aaron the diesel." he said. Now I was surprised.

"A-Aaron?" I repeated. Suddenly, the claw on the diesels roof quickly made a beeline for me, but stopped, _just_ before grabbing me. I was now well within its reach, as I had moved closer, but it did not grab me. I stumbled back, nearly falling in the process.

"Look, if I wanted to hurt you, I could have done so already." he said, the claw going back to its position on his roof. "I don't want to hurt anyone, not anymore. Now... I just want to get this Island back to how it used to be. I may not have had a great life back then, but it was better than this. I realized a long time ago that what I had been doing was similar to what those wretched humans had been doing. I'm sure you've met teapo... _Lady_. The purple steamer. Her and I don't have a good past." he said.

"As in...?" I asked.

"I tried to kill her. _Twice_." the diesel said bluntly.

Oh. Right. Lady had mentioned that.

"Right. Why?" I asked.

"Back then, there was quite a feud going on between Diesels and Steamers. A difference of race, type, and superiority. I believed that if I destroyed Lady... it would get all the Steamers off the Island, and us diesels could reign supreme. But, thankfully, Lady was to evasive, especially with the help she received. A few years after that, I realized what I had been trying to do, and confined myself to the Dieselworks, most of the time. I was still quite a trouble maker, though. But now... I just want peace. I'm tired of being like that, especially now since I see where it could lead. Now, I just want to be really useful again." Aaron said.

"Surely you know that the humans are gone? If you've been around the Island so much." I said. Aaron nodded.

"Of course I do. But it's not like I could tell anyone. If I got anywhere near the Steamers, Lady would not hesitate to destroy me, or try at least. I have no way to tell them." he said.

I thought for a moment, looking Diesel 10/Aaron over. I settled my gaze on his claw.

"You know, your claw makes you quite scary looking. Do you think that Lady and the others might give you a chance if it was removed?" I asked. Aaron looked quite nervous.

"I love having my claw. It's a part of me. I used to call it Pinchy. It's what makes me different, and unique. Without it, what am I?" he asked.

"You're Aaron. Aaron the mighty dual cab diesel. Easily the largest diesel on the Island. You'd be approachable, especially if you try smiling. I've been through this with Lady. A smile can make all the difference." I said. Aaron thought over my words.

"Fine. At this point, I'd do almost anything. I want things to go back to normal. I can take you back to Knapford, but... I think I will stay out of sight. Perhaps if you can convince the others of me first, they won't flee on sight of seeing me. Tell them I'm willing to have my claw removed, if required." he said. I agreed, as I had no other way to get back.

I kept an eye on Aaron's claw, and approached him. He made no advances towards me, so I opened the door to his cab, and stepped inside. And with that, the large diesel lumbered off, towards Knapford.

. . .

After a good while, Aaron stopped in a well hidden siding that was somewhat close to Knapford.

"I will stay here. When you think the others are ready to accept me, come and get me. I'll wait as long as I have to." he said as I climbed out of his cab. I nodded.

"I'll convince them, Aaron. An engine needs other engines." I said, before walking towards Knapford.

The moment the other engines saw me, an uproar of chatter filled the air. Night had fallen a while ago, so they were all present. Except for Lady.

I walked onto the platform, and raised my hands for silence. Once the noise died down, I sighed.

"Alright look, I've got a list of things I need to do. First and foremost, I've discovered the truth about what's still happening, but I'm only going to tell you all once, so I need Lady here. Where is she?" I asked. The others looked worried.

"We don't know. She said a while ago that she wanted to be alone, and she was going somewhere private. She's not in her shed, though." Belle said. I thought for a moment, before remembering that Lady said the Magic Railway was a very special place to her.

"I know where she is. I need someone to take me. Preferably someone fast. The sooner I get to her, the better. Belle, will you take me?" I asked. The blue fire engine chuffed forwards.

"Of course. Hope in, and tell me where to go!" she said. I entered her cab, and told her the direction. Belle quickly accelerated up to speed, and was soon ripping along the tracks.

"Lady _freaked_ when she realized you were gone. Went on a full blown rant for a few minutes. She said she had been able to contact you through the Rider bond, but she became so upset, she lost the connection. She went off to look for you, but eventually came back in such a miserable state. She said she needed time alone, and went off to her "Special place."" Belle said. I sighed.

Of course, I felt awful for making Lady worry so badly. But it was necessary, and hopefully she would be happy to hear they were no longer in danger. If I survived what she put me through once I saw her, that is.

After a few minutes, I told Belle to stop. She slowed to a stop, and looked around.

"What's so special about this place?" she asked, not seeing anything but tracks and rail buffers. I patted her side.

"Trust me, she's here. Go on back to Knapford. I'll bring her back. Just... give us some time." I said. Belle followed my order, and I walked up to the magic buffers. I had no idea what walking through them would be like, but I couldn't waste time trying to figure it out.

I stepped into the buffers without hesitation, and were thrown out the other side, quite roughly. I landed on my back, and groaned. I forced myself up, and looked down the portal line. A good distance away, was Lady. She was facing away from me, and clearly hadn't heard my rough arrival. I silently walked towards her, and once I was right behind her, I stopped, and listened.

No sound. She was either asleep, or extremely quite. I decided to reach out to her with my thoughts, and then surprise her in person.

_"Lady?"_ I thought to her. I heard her gasp, and then a bombardment of thoughts entered my head.

_"Anon?! Anon, are you okay? Please tell me your okay! I looked for you for hours, and I couldn't find you! Please, come back! I'm so happy you're okay, please come back to me before something happens!"_ she thought to me. I walked up in front of her, and cleared my throat.

Lady looked down at me, and just stared blankly for a moment. I offered her a smile, and suddenly, I was picked up by Lady's magic, and held mere inches from her face, her two eyes staring at me intently. Her eye would occasionally twitch, and she looked ready to spill blood.

"You..." she growled, looking ready to explode. I braced myself for her to start yelling. Suddenly, Lady brought me forward, and pressed her lips into mine. My eyes went huge, and I... didn't do anything. The _last_ thing I expected Lady to do was _kiss_ me, but it wasn't the worst thing she could do.

She held the gentle contact for several seconds, her eyes closed, me limp in her magical grip. She finally pulled me away, and then held me to her cheek as she started to cry.

"You're okay, you're okay, you're okay..." she repeated quietly as her tears fell. I could feel her shaking, but could do nothing while she was holding me against her. She sobbed quietly, holding me close. The sound of Lady's sobs brought tears to my own eyes.

"Lady, can you release me?" I asked quietly as a few tears of my own began to fall. I felt her grip on me fade as I fell onto her bumper. I got on my knees, and hugged her, my tears joining hers as I leaned my head against her cheek. The motion only seemed to make her cry harder, as she began to wail into the silence of the portal line.

"It's alright Lady. It's alright, I'm here. I'm right here..." I whispered, rubbing her smoke-box. Lady's wails finally turned to whimpers, as she continued to shake. I massaged her for a while, until her tears stopped completely, and she held her eyes shut.

"P-Please... don't _ever_ leave me again..." she whispered softly. I nodded slowly.

"I know Lady... I won't. I had no idea... that you'd miss me like _this_." I said. Lady sniffed, and suddenly, she picked me up with her magic again, and held me in front of her face once more. She brought her lips to mine again, but this time, there seemed to be much more... _passion_ in her movements. Her lips tenderly brushed against my own, her quiet whimpers slowly fading. She released me, and sniffed, her eyes still wet.

"Anon... you are a stupid, _stupid_ man. I _told_ you not to go, that it was dangerous, and you could be killed. But, you went anyway. Your heart was in the right place, but your head wasn't. But... I don't care. You're back now, you're safe in my protection, and... and..." Lady trailed off, looking at me with a quivering smile.

"I love you, Anon." she said in a shaky voice. I gaped at her, her words like bricks to my face. I looked at her gentle smile as she looked at me. She gently lowered me to the ground, and I stumbled back a bit as she released me completely.

"Lady... h-how long?" I whispered. Lady blushed.

"A... a little while. Before you left, at least. T-That's why... I was so upset. I didn't want to lose the one person I'd come to love so much in the last twenty years. I... I didn't want to feel _alone_ anymore." she said. I brought a hand to Lady, and realized in that single touch that she meant much more to me than I could possibly imagine.

I loved her a great deal. Not in a physical way, but in an emotional way. I didn't really want to leave her, and I certainly didn't want to go back home, and never see her again.

"Lady... I love you too." I whispered, looking up at her with a smile. I walked forwards, and brought my lips to hers.

This time, as she kissed me... I kissed her back.


	9. Chapter 9

Lady and I shared each other's company in an enjoyable silence for a good while, before I finally got off of Lady's bumper.

"We should probably head back. I told the others that I had found the truth, but I wasn't going to tell them until you were there." I said, stretching.

"Alright. Although I still wish you hadn't gone, I suppose even I am a little eager to discover what you learned. Besides the... memory you shared with me..." Lady said quietly, "Even I could not imagine something like that."

I sighed as I was forced to remember the diesel body once again.

"I found a journal written by who I believe was the leader. I found out what they were doing, and I believe I know why the body was in that shape. It wasn't the only body I saw." I said. Lady's eyes widened.

"There were more?" she asked. I nodded.

"Yes. It would appear they had been forced to stop their work. Let's get back, and I can tell everyone the story." I said, climbing into Lady's cab. She reversed out of the magic railway, and headed back to Knapford.

. . .

After a mostly silent trip back to the station, the others were happy to see that I had brought Lady back. I had been so busy trying to figure out what I would and wouldn't tell the engines, I had forgotten that Lady had been missing to them in the first place. She pulled into the station slowly, a cloud of steam announcing her arrival. I stepped out of her cab onto the platform as the others asked Lady where she had been.

Once the noise died down, I held my hands up for the engine's attention, and once I had it, I spoke my story.

"So, I'm sure you've all been wondering where it was I went off to with no notice. I apologize for that, but I know Lady would have done everything in her power to stop me from going, which was something I couldn't allow. In my act of rebellion, I discovered the truth of our current situation," I paused, making sure the engine's had kept up with me so far, "We are in no danger anymore. The enemy has been gone for quite some time. Died, I believe. I explored their base of operations, found... _proof_, of their wrongdoings, and a _detailed_ journal of what they had been up to." I finished. The other engine's looked ecstatic to find out they were free from danger, but Lady didn't look so sure.

"Then why did we see Diesel 10 out those days ago? If the humans are gone, why is he still looking for us?" she asked. I chose my next words carefully, and raised my hands again to tell the engine's to remain calm at what I was about to speak.

"Diesel 10 is no longer a threat." I said, letting silence follow. I wanted to let that sentence sink into the engine's minds for a moment.

"He's _always_ a threat. _Especially_ with that claw of his." Lady finally said, a firm frown on her face. I put my hands on my hips.

"Lady, you are a _prime_ example of someone who has changed their personality. You've done it several times, if what you've told me and what I've seen since being here is anything to go by. You were a _happy_ engine, then you were a _lost_ engine, then you were an unhappy, somewhat cruel engine, and now, you're a happy engine again. Wouldn't you agree?" I asked.

"Well, y-yes, but..." Lady stammered.

"_Anyone_ can change, sometimes all it takes is a big slap to the face, so to speak. For you see, I encountered Diesel 10 on my trip, and not only was he genuinely friendly, but he helped me back here. My truck ran out of fuel, and he gave me a ride back. He made no move to hurt me, and in fact, told me a good deal about himself. For example, Diesel 10 is not his name, but his number. His name is Aaron. And he is no longer hostile towards anyone, for he told me that seeing what has been done to Sodor taught him what his actions could lead to. All he wants now is peace, and to be really useful again." I finished.

All the engines stared at me in silence... before they burst out laughing. Every single one of them, including Lady.

"Pfft! You... believed... what he _said_?!" Toby asked in between breaths. I stood firm, unamused with their humor in what I had said.

"_ENOUGH_!" I snapped loudly. All the engine's stopped their laughter. I paced back and forth on the platform, my hands behind my back.

"Am I, or am I _not_ the so called 'Chosen One' to help you? Have I, or have I _not_ helped you so far? I have not mislead you, or given you all anything less than my best. Even when Lady drove me away the first time, I came back. And do you know _why_?" I asked, turning to face the engine's with a stern gaze. None of the engine's answered. "It's because I _like_ this place. I like all of _you_. This place is amazing. I can't say why, it just _is_. I would, and have so far done everything I can to help it, and now, after I just announce that the threats are gone, you all choose to stop having faith in my words. Why? You believe that the biggest threat that has ever been on this Island is gone as soon as I say it, but you don't believe that a bully engine has been reformed when I say it? Why? What's the difference?" I demanded. I finally settled my eyes on Lady.

"Aaron has not ever killed a soul, just made quite a nuisance of himself. He didn't strip an engine of life, or ever draw blood from a human. He also didn't stop someone from going back home to get the care they needed, and then prevent them from returning. He didn't instead see their demise as _punishment_ for their actions." I said, a hard glare going Lady's direction. Of course, no other engine besides her understood my words, but she did. After an initial look of shock, she looked down at the tracks in apparent shame, but said nothing.

"I think half of your opinion on Aaron is based off of his appearance alone. Can he help being built with a claw on his roof? Can he help if he was built with an aggressive design, or a tough face? No, he can't, so why act like it's who he is? Sometimes the meanest looking character can be the nicest person in the world. And sometimes... the most beautiful character can be the evil one. Whether _she_ realizes it or not." I said, looking at Lady again. I let silence linger, before Lady slowly reversed out of the station in silence, and headed for her shed. The others looked confused as to why she had left.

"I'm going to have a talk with Lady. You all think about what I just said. When I get back, I expect you all to be a little more understanding." I said, before walking out of the station towards the train yard.

I saw that the door to Lady's shed was closed, and with an attempt to open it, also discovered that it was locked. I reached out to Lady with my mind.

_"Come on Lady, let me in. Talk to me."_ I said gently.

_"No! You know what I've done! How can you possibly still want to talk with me knowing that?! I'm an even bigger murderer than you thought!"_ she replied. I sighed.

_"I do know that Lady, I just want to talk about it. Hear your side of the story. Please let me in."_

After a moment, the door opened slightly, and I took that as Lady's invitation to enter. I walked in, and saw Lady was sitting at the other end, facing the wall. I quietly walked over to her, and put a hand to her side.

"Penny for your thoughts?" I asked.

"Do not act as if everything is alright. Everything is not alright. It never has been. You've learned the _one_ thing I wanted you to stay in the dark about. I'm the reason those men are _dead_." Lady said quietly, staring at the wall. I nodded.

"You are, and while the thought of what you did does unnerve me a little, do you _really_ think what you did was unjustified? They came here, forced their way in, and began to destroy your home. You would have been a bigger fool if you had shown them no hostility, and simply let them return. They killed themselves the moment they stepped foot out of that portal with their intentions." I said. Lady remained silent. I had an idea.

"You know what, you and I need to go out to where I was. Sure, you could see what I saw through my memories, but I think you really need to see it for yourself." I said, climbing into Lady's cab. She seemed adamant on not going anywhere, so I decided to take over. I pulled her regulator towards me, and moved her throttle. With a sudden yelp from Lady, she slowly rolled backwards.

"H-Hey! Stop! I didn't give you consent to drive! Release me from your control!" she demanded, but I ignored her pleas. This was something she needed, whether she agreed with the notion or not.

"I'm trying to help you Lady. You need to see it for yourself. See exactly what they did, and who they had killed. I think you'll feel better if you do." I said as Lady left her shed under my control.

"I don't _want_ to see it! I won't look at it!" she said stubbornly. I forced myself to keep her going, and once she reached the mainline track, moved her forwards.

"I'm doing this for your own good, Lady. Remember that." I said as she continued to object at her movement.

. . .

Roughly half an hour later, and I had successfully brought Lady to the abandoned camp of the killers. Lady had stopped yelling about twenty minutes ago, and had gone silent. As I slowly brought her into the site, I felt her shudder at the sight of the old engine parts that were scattered throughout the place. I finally brought her to a stop in the middle, and stepped out.

"You see? This is the very place where they tore the engines apart, and stripped them down for metal. This is the place where they killed, and whatever they couldn't use? Thrown into scrap piles. Discarded. That's all you were to them. Things to be discarded after use. They didn't _care_ about any of you like I do. All they cared about was the material and money." I said. Lady looked around the place, before closing her eyes.

"Can we go back now?"

"Soon. I need to take you to one more place." I said, climbing back into her cab. I took her away from the campgrounds, and towards the direction of the Ffarquhar Quarry. Along the way, Lady brought up a question.

"So, what was your first thought at seeing all of that? What did it make you want to do?"

I thought back, and finally had an answer.

"It made me want to kill them. In fact, I very clearly remember myself thinking 'If they're not already dead, I was going to kill them myself.' The rage, fury, and horror I felt was unthinkable. That's why I understand what you did, Lady. I felt the exact same way. While I would never wish death on anyone... what they did was unforgivable. Show up to a new world they know nothing about, see an opportunity for money, and immediately start killing. As I said, they killed themselves the second they came here."

Lady seemed to mull over my words as I finished the trip to the Quarry. I slowed her speed as the track began to get a bit rougher. Rusted rails, broken ties, and uneven surfaces, but thankfully Lady was a small engine, with a short wheelbase, so she made it through just fine. I stopped her inside the Quarry, and pointed over to her left.

"I know you can't see it as well as I can, but Mavis is over there. I don't know if you know who that is, I certainly don't, but she's a black diesel shunter. Well, she _was_. Now, she's an abandoned frame, no engine, bullet holes riddled through her engine bay, and rust consuming her slowly. All because of some unfriendly people. If there's one thing you need to know about humanity Lady, it's that while we're capable of great things, such as love, compassion, and kindness, we're also capable of _horrible_ things, such as mass murder, greed, and just about anything else you can think of." I said.

"I knew Mavis..." Lady said quietly in a shaky voice. I walked up to her, and put a hand on her bumper. "I worked with her several times. She was one of the most friendly engine's around. She was like a mother to everyone. She was one of the oldest engine's on the Island, and was very wise. She was the last engine to deserve this fate..." she whispered.

I stared at the black diesel in respective silence. So that was the story of the black diesel. Before I could start thinking negative thoughts again, I reminded myself that the people responsible were gone, and turned back to Lady.

"_Nobody_ deserves this fate." I said, leaning against her.

"May we return home now? I... I don't want to see anymore." she requested. I looked at her.

"Before we do, I need to know, will you give Aaron a chance?" I asked. Lady closed her eyes and sighed.

"I trust you Anon. If... if you really believe that he has changed... I will give him a chance. _One_. _Chance_. If he shows _any_ sign of hostility, I will destroy him myself." she said. I nodded.

"One chance is all he needs."

. . .

Lady and I finally made it back to Knapford, where the other engines were waiting. When Lady came to a stop, I got out.

"We're giving Aaron one chance. I want you all to be friendly, and non-hostile towards him. You all know that Lady can protect you from him, but she won't need to. I'll be back with him shortly. He's been waiting nearby for my okay. Keep in mind, he's known where you all have been hiding for years. So if he really wanted to destroy you, I think he would have done so by now. He also knew that the humans have been gone for years, and wanted to tell you, but was afraid if he got close enough to, you'd destroy him without hearing what he had to say. All he's wanted to do is help." I said, before walking off to get Diesel 10. I heard murmurs behind me as the engine's discussed what I had just told them.

I walked down the line for a good ten minutes, before finding the hidden siding where Aaron was still waiting. His face brightened once he saw me, and he waved his claw.

"So? Are they going to accept me?" he asked hopefully. I nodded.

"I convinced Lady to give you a chance, although she was very clear that she was only going to give you one shot. _Don't_ blow it." I said.

"I can't thank you enough, Anon. You must be close to her if you convinced her to give me a shot after everything I've done." Aaron said. I nodded.

"I am close to her. I'm her Rider, and... more." I said. Aaron's jaw dropped.

"Really? She made you her Rider? I'm surprised she wanted another one, especially after what happened with her previous one." he said.

"Yeah, I wouldn't go bringing _that_ up around her. Seriously, don't do _anything_ to give her a reason to not trust you more than she already doesn't." I said. I opened the door to Aaron's cab, and he trundled out of the siding towards Knapford.

Once he rounded the corner, I could see the shock and fear in the other engine's eyes. I could also see the distrust on Lady's face, but I couldn't blame her. Aaron slowed to a stop well before entering the station, about thirty feet away. Obviously, he didn't want to get to close, for fear of making any of the engine's freak. I stepped out of his cab, and Lady slowly chuffed forwards, a determined expression on her face.

"Diesel 10," she started.

"Aaron." I corrected. She sighed.

"_Aaron_. Do you still intend to engage in hostile acts against us Steamers and this Island? Do you still intend to use your claw for destruction and threats? And do you still intend to come after me for _whatever_ reason you have before?" she asked. Aaron closed his eyes.

"I do not. All I want now is peace, restoration of the Island, and to be really useful again." he stated. Lady studied his face for a moment, before finding his words satisfactory.

"You will be given a chance. One shot to prove what you say is true. Now that the threat against the Island is gone, we will have to contact the Mainland to start the restoration of Sodor. You will help, just as all the others will. The more help we have, the sooner it will happen. But, if you show one sign of hostility towards anyone, I will destroy you. Is that understood?" she asked. Aaron nodded.

"It is."

Lady nodded.

"Alright then. Be welcome here, and have a new start. You are among no danger here." she said, before reversing back into the station, allowing Aaron to move forwards. He did so slowly, keeping his claw lowered, a nervous look on his face. The other engine's eyed him warily, but curiously. Eventually, he came to a stop, and offered a smile. Not an evil looking one, but a genuine one.

"Thank you all for the second chance." he said. As he conversed with the other engines, Lady pulled me aside.

"We need to start making arrangements for the rebuild of Sodor. Can you see if there is a phone or something inside the station that you can use?" she asked. I nodded, and discovered that most of the doors in the station were unlocked. I walked into what look like an office, and saw a phone on a dust covered desk. It was a vintage rotary phone, but it looked as if it would still work. Next to the phone was a list of numbers. One of them was marked 'Mainland Railway Controller'. I decided to give that number a try, rotating the phone's dial as in hope. A ringing sound came from the earpiece of the phone, and I prayed someone would answer. Suddenly, I heard a click, and then a voice.

_"Hello?"_


	10. Chapter 10

A few weeks had gone by now, and the restoration of Sodor was underway. Hiro was being repaired, and most of the engine's that called Sodor home were coming back as well. After telling the Mainland that Sodor was free of danger, the rail bridge connecting it the two sides was quickly rebuilt, and _loads_ of people and building material was shipped over. All of the people who had originally lived on Sodor were coming back. And they all wanted to thank _me_.

As I went throughout the day, helping to keep the rail-work flowing, people would come and find me to say their thanks.

It was actually quite overwhelming.

But, with Lady by my side, I got through the praise. Speaking of Lady, she was helping haul stone and other building materials all over the Island, with me in her cab. She had _insisted_ that I stay with her, mainly because she didn't want to be away from me. Now that everything was alright, she had grown... quite affectionate towards me.

I still had no place to stay, so I slept with her in her shed, which she seemed to like. She would tell me stories of her past, and I would tell her stories of my life on Earth until the both of us would fall asleep. I loved waking up and seeing her in the morning, especially if I woke up _before_ her, because that meant I got to see her sleeping, which was adorable. She always had such a sweet, content smile on her face.

But, today her and I were going strong, taking a load of wood over to the Sodor Search and Rescue Center. It was one of the priority rebuild projects, because with that built, the Island could be safe against natural threats, such as fires, weather, and other things. Belle was _especially_ excited for its completion.

As Lady stopped at a signal, the both of us saw Aaron over on a siding, picking up piles of old debris with his claw.

"I'm glad you convinced me to give him another chance. He's been nothing but helpful since he came back. The whole Island already looks better just because of the trash and scrap he's removed." Lady said. I patted her side.

"Sometimes you just have to give second chances Lady, no matter who it is. You never know what can happen." I replied. Lady smiled.

"I'm glad you gave _me_ a second chance." she said. I leaned against her cab wall, and rubbed her side.

"So am I."

The signal turned green, and we both made our way over to the coast where the Rescue Center was being rebuilt. Lady dropped off the wood, and then headed towards Knapford Station. I had been told the Mayor of Sodor wanted to speak with me at noon, which was about forty five minutes away. A man named Sir Topham Hatt would also be there. I wasn't sure what they wanted with me, but Lady had assured me that I wasn't in trouble.

"So, who is Sir Topham Hatt again?" I asked as Lady chuffed along the mainline.

"He's the Controller. He runs Sodor Rail, and now that he's back, he can continue doing so. He's a friendly man, so I'm sure you won't be in trouble with him. I can't think of a reason why you would be." Lady said. I thought things over in silence until Lady pulled into the station. I stepped out, and a black man with a gray beard, and a large white man in a suit and top hat walked over to me.

"Are you Anon? The one who saved Sodor?" asked the black man. I nodded.

"I am, although I wouldn't say I 'saved' Sodor, more like just discovered the truth." I said, shaking both of their hands. The fat man in a top hat chuckled.

"That's not what I've heard from the engine's who stayed here. They all tell me that you came along and helped them all, even with a few things getting in the way." he said. I shrugged.

"Lady had good reason to be wary of my arrival. I just needed to show her my intentions were friendly." I said, smiling at the purple engine, who smiled back.

"Well, we would _both_ like to thank you for your work. We honestly didn't think Sodor would ever be free again. We had just quarantined it off. No one was allowed to go back to it. But the day you called and said it was all over... things turned around quickly." top hat man said.

"I'm the Mayor of Sodor." the black man said.

"And I'm Sir Topham Hatt, controller of this railway. We've discussed it, and we'd like to offer you a place to stay, and a permanent job on Sodor. What do you say?" the man in the top hat asked. I looked towards Lady.

"Only if it involves Lady. Without her... I don't think any of this would have happened. She was the reason I came back. Her and I... I don't think either of us would enjoy being apart." I said. I didn't see it, but Lady blushed behind me. Sir Topham Hatt smiled.

"Then it works out. I want to offer you a job on my railway, as Lady's caretaker. You may be with her all day, every day. And I figured you and her were quite close, so..." Sir Topham Hatt trailed off, and looked towards the Mayor, who continued.

"Since we're rebuilding engine sheds and houses among other things, we're going to build you a specially designed house. It's the least we can do to repay you for giving us our home back. The house will have a large built in shed, so that Lady can be in the house, in a term of speaking. The two of you can stay together as much as you'd like." he said. I had a huge smile on my face.

"Oh Sirs, thank you! I... I was worried about finding income and a home here, but now I can put my worries aside. Lady had given me a home with her in her shed, which we both enjoyed, so I know we'll enjoy this as well!" I said, shaking both men's hand again. I conversed with them both for a few more minutes, before they went back to their jobs. I had learned that the house was not finished yet, but once it was, Lady and I could both move in. A special set of tracks was also being built to lead to the house for Lady.

I walked back over to Lady, and leaned against her.

"So much has happened in a matter of what, a month?" I mused. Lady chuckled.

"I must admit, when you showed up that second time, I really didn't think you could actually help us. I'm so very glad I was wrong. I just never thought... that I'd get to see Sodor like this again. Thank you, so much." she said, a content smile on her face. I patted her smoke-box.

"You're very welcome, my Lady." I said, kissing her cheek. She blushed, but I knew she enjoyed it. She had also told me that she didn't like it when anyone said "My Lady" to her, because that's what Burnett used to say, but a few days later, I slipped up, and said it again, but then she actually said she _wanted_ me to call her that. That it made her feel warm inside. She was mine now, after all.

The rest of the day went quite smoothly, and after a hard days work, the both of us went back to Lady's shed for a good nights sleep.

As I lay on my mattress, which I had been given, next to Lady, I let out a sigh.

"Boy, if someone had told me that I'd end up spending my life on a different world, and that I'd fall in love with an engine, I'd have told them to stop drinking so much. But now... I wouldn't have it any other way." I said, staring at the ceiling.

"What do you think is going on back on your world now?" Lady asked.

"Well, I probably lost my job after about a week of not showing up, and I didn't really have any friends, so no one has probably even noticed I'm gone, except for maybe the mailman. Lord knows my mailbox is probably stuffed with who knows what. My parents live over in America, so they still probably have no clue I'm gone. So, regarding me, yeah, not much. Honestly, there's not really a whole lot that I miss, either. Even if I did miss stuff, I wouldn't go back unless you could come with me." I said, turning to look at Lady.

"I really mean that much to you?" she asked quietly. I nodded.

"It's a strange story, I know. Man shows up, engine threatens to kill him, then asks for his help. Man gets fed up with engine's hostility, and goes back home, only to come back later. Engine is _still_ hostile towards him, until he demands respect. Engine eventually respects man, and man eventually respects engine. Friendship eventually ensues, and after man goes off on a dangerous adventure, the engine goes _hysterical_ with worry, only then realizing what the man means to her. Same for the man. The man realizes when he's not around the engine what she means to him. They come together again, and share feelings. A magical bonded relationship begins, and so does love. Amazing, isn't it?" I said, running the entire adventure over in my head.

"Yeah..." Lady said, clearly thinking over the same thing from her point of view. I got up, and walked over to her, before sitting on her bumper.

"But hey, we're here now, and everything is going good. And that's all that matters." I said. Lady smiled.

"Indeed. You're the best thing to ever happen to me Anon. You gave me my life back, and my happiness." she said, nuzzling me. I gave her a peck on the cheek, and smiled.

"I knew there was a friendly engine inside you, just waiting to get out. All it took was a little faith." I said, caressing her cheek.

"I wish... I wish I could..." Lady paused as she seemed to have trouble deciding what to say. "I wish I could... be human. Something that would allow me to... I don't know... be more like you, so we could love each other properly. Share hugs, kisses, spend normal time together." Lady said, frowning at her words. I smiled at her compassionately.

"But I didn't fall in love with you for what you _look_ like, although you are _very_ beautiful. I fell in love with you for what was _inside_. You're an engine, sure, but that just makes our relationship special. We can share our love through our words, our work, and our thoughts. And..." I kissed her again. "We can still have some affection." I said, before sidling up to her smoke-box. She smiled a little.

"Yeah, I guess we can. We're both special. I'm magical, you... you're magical in your own way." she said. I nodded.

"And together, we can do anything. We're bonded, and will never part. Engine and man, together forever. I love you, Lady, and I wouldn't have you any other way." I said, laying down on her bumper.

As I stared at her face, I felt my eyes become heavy, and after a while, I fell asleep with Lady looking down at me, in her protection.

"I love you Anon, and I'm happy to be yours." she whispered, before following me into the land of dreams.

* * *

Right, finished! This is the last story I had to update, so my entire story library should be fully available again! Now I can work on new stuff!


End file.
